First of all I'd like to thank Brainwavz and Pandora for giving me a chance to check out the Kidwavz KV-100 Bluetooth headphones.
 
The KV-100 is available from Amazon and Brainwavs audio:
 
http://www.amazon.com/KV-100-Childrens-Bluetooth-Headphones-Brainwavz/dp/B014CLDU4U
 
http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/products/kidwavz-kv-100-blue
 
Disclaimer:
I’m not in any way affiliated with Brainwavz and I do not gain any financial benefits from this review.
 

 

 
 
About me:
I’m a 43 year old music and sound lover that changed my focus from speakers to headphones and IEM’s about five years ago. At that time I realized that it wasn’t realistic for me to have all the different setups that I wanted and still house a family of four children and a wife so my interest turned first to full sized headphones and later also IEM’s.
 
My preferences are towards full sized open headphones and I believe that also says something about what kind of sound signature I prefer (large soundstage in all directions, balanced and organic sound).
 
My music preferences are pretty much all over the place (only excluding classical music, jazz and really heavy metal). My all-time favorite band is Depeche Mode although I also listen to a lot of grunge/indie, singer/songwriter/acoustical stuff as well as the typical top 40 music.
 
I do not use EQ, ever.
 
I’m a sucker for value for money on most things in life, Head-Fi related stuff is no exception.
 
Built and accessories:
The Kidwavz KV-100 is a Bluetooth on-ear headphone with a maximum volume limit to prevent children and youngsters to listen to music at dangerously loud volumes.
 
It’s available in three different flavors: black, blue and pink. Having twin girls in the age on ten I’ve got the pink ones
 
The accessory pack is not exactly packed with goodies, but then again that normally not the case with full sized headphones, especially not in this price range. It contains a USB charging cable and a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable and that’s it.
 
Built is all plastic but they still feel pretty sturdy and I’ve got no reason to believe that they won’t hold up, especially given my very good experiences with other Brainwavz products in this area.
 
In spite of being Bluetooth headphones the KV-100’s got a cable for use in case they run out of battery, or if you just want to use them with a cable instead. Please note that the volume limitation will not work if connected through the cable though (more about this later).
 
Battery time is stated to be 6 hours and charging time is 3 hours and I find that to be fairly correct. The charging port is located on the lower part of the right ear cup.
 
The accessories pack is pretty basic and includes the following:
1 AUX input cable
1 USB charging cable
 
I would really have liked for Brainwavz to include a soft pouch to keep them in when not in use.
 
The housings are all plastic but its high quality plastic and they seem very solid and well built.
 
Connecting the KV-100 to you phone is very straight forward and you basically just turn them on and open up the Bluetooth settings on your phone to make the connection and you’re ready to go.
 
The remote control also works fully with my Xperia Z3 phone (something that’s not always the case) and the mic seem to be of good quality. There’s a small light next to the 3.5mm jack on the right ear cup that shows whether the headset is turned on or not and it tells you by voice if you put them on your ears before turning them on, very nice.
 
I’ve paired them with the already mentioned Z3Compact, a Nexus 7 tablet, a HTC M7 and an Ipod Touch 5 gen. and they’ve all worked fine with the KV-100’s.
 
When the KV-100 is connected to the source through Bluetooth there’s an 85dB volume limit activated to prevent smaller children and young people to damage their hearing by listening at too loud volume. This is a very nice feature that I’ve seen a couple of times before in wired headphones especially directed toward kids but it’s the first time I’ve ever seen it I a Bluetooth headphone. Unfortunately using the 3.5mm cable to connect the KV-100 to a source disables this feature, I really wish that it’d been working I this mode also.
 
The Bluetooth connection is quite stable and the rated operating distance of 10 meters is pretty accurate when using them inside but outside it’s at least a couple of meters less. Still I’ve had very few drop outs while wearing my phone in my pocket while connected to the KV-100’s outside.
 
Please note that Brainwavz recently extended their warranty to last for 24 months (earlier it was 12 months) for all their products. Pretty impressive to me, let’s hope that other manufactures learn from this and offer the same in the future.
 

 

 

 

 
 
Fit and ergonomics:
The KV-100 is an on-ear design. Although I’m not  big fan of on-ear design (the tend to hurt my ears pretty fast) they’re certainly not more uncomfortable than many other on ear models I’ve tried.
 
Size adjustment is very simple by just pulling the housing along the slider that connect the cups the headband.
 
The headband is padded and doesn’t cause any discomfort even though my head is probably bigger that what’s to be expected on the intended users.
 
All buttons are placed on the side of the right ear cup and they're easy to understand and use for an adult but my ten years old girls are not very comfortable using them but prefer to use their Ipod's for making adjustments. 
 
My general impression is that the KV-100 is a well thought through product that works as intended as long as you use a Bluetooth connection (once again a cable connection disables the 85dB volume limit).
 
The Specs:
Bluetooth Profiles: HSP, HFP, A2DP, AVRCP 
Bluetooth Operating Distance: 10 meters / 33 feet 
Frequency range: 2.4 ~ 2.48 GHz 
 
Distortion: ≤1% 
Microphone Sensitivity: -40dB 
Working Time: Music Play Time up to 6 hours, Talk Time up to 10 hours 
Charging Time: Approx. 3hours
 
Sound:
I've let them play for over 50 hours and I've used them at the office, when walking outside and at home and I've not found any weaknesses to the way they're constructed. I've been using them almost exclusively with my Sony Xperia Z3compact phone while my ten years old twin daughters has been using them with their Ipod touch’s  (5.gen).
 
To be honest these are not exactly high fidelity in sound and I don’t think they need to be either given their target audience and intended use. Because of this I will not use too much time talking about the sound in detail but rather give a shorter general description of how they sound.
 
The overall sound signature of the KV-100 is pretty well balanced with a pretty weak subbass.
 
As already mentioned the subbass lacks depth and impact. Although the lack of bass impact makes listening to the KV-100 a bit unengaging I can imagine that it’s also a part of it being designed to protect the hearing of the younger audience.
 
The midrange feels well in balance with the rest of the frequencies and vocals are nice and crisp.
 
The treble rolls of pretty fast and comes across as very non-intrusive.
 
Soundstage in all directions is about average for an on-ear headphone.
 
Details and separation is nothing special and the overall sound does feel a bit congested, hollowed and closed in the same way it often does in cheaper closed headphones.
 
Summary:
The Kidwavz KD-100 is a well built, decent sounding option for younger persons that offer a lot of nice features at a very reasonable price. Although I personally am not too impressed by it sound it’s still decent for the price and what’s more important my ten years old twins, that’s much more in the target group than this old reviewer, absolutely loves them so all I can say is:
 
WELL DONE BRAINWAVZ!
 

 

 
 
Being a proud yet protective grandpa I was very interested when Brainwavz offered to let me review a pair of sound level attenuated headphones for kids. I would love to pass on my appreciation of fine recorded music to another generation and protect their young ears for what I am sure will be an all out assault on their hearing by the time they reach their teens. LOL
 
This will be a somewhat brief review since I realized soon after unboxing that these would not fit my head well enough to get a good read on sound quality. So I boxed them up and took them up to the grandkid's house. They were VERY excited that grandpa had brought them some headphones to "review" and the youngest immediately grabbed them and put them on her head...but was quickly disappointed that there was no sound. In disgust she removed them and quickly ALSO removed one of the ear pads as well. No harm done but the ear pad was not so easily replaced. It took a few minutes of finagling and some small tools in my son in law's computer repair kit. There, good as new and now an additional warning to be a little careful handling these headphones we proceeded to "play" with the Kidwavz.
 
The battery was already charged and link up to several Bluetooth sources was quick and easy. The controls were a tad difficult to manage for small fingers with the headphones in place on their heads but soon each child mastered working them. Next we pulled out the cable and hooked them up to grandpa's DAP and enjoyed some rousing music from the likes of Frozen, Big Hero 6, and a few other favorite soundtracks and songs. They both declared the sound "awesome" but didn't really understand a number of my questions about the actual type of sound they were or were not hearing. 
 
So instead of playing different tracks we tried out every Bluetooth device we could find (a total of 11 different devices that they had in their home- all connected fine) and quickly got into a little fight/sibling rivalry over who's turn it was to listen to them while watching a movie. We also played with the microphone and both children again pronounced talking on the phone with the Kidwavz as "awesome".
 
Apart from the ear pad coming off within seconds of trying them on I was also a little bit concerned about the overall durability given that young children would be ostensibly be using these primarily. Nothing untoward happened for the remainder of the evening but I decided they needed a real torture test to see if they would indeed hold up to everyday use by two rambunctious children. I decided to let them take the headphones along on a trip to Disneyland. I'm please to say that the headphones survived the trip...even being scrutinized by TSA after the older grandchild forgot he had placed a pocket knife in his backpack for his Cub Scout day camp. No the knife did not return from Disneyland (well, the airport).
 
Thus far the headphones have survived despite looking a tad wimpy and have even survived several tug of wars. I will update this review as time passes and report on future durability. I think this is a great product for young aspiring audiophiles and hope that other headphone makers will offer similar products to help protect young, sensitive ears. Good product, good price.  

Brainwavz Kidwavz KV100 Quick Review
 
Full review here http://www.head-fi.org/t/783163/brainwavz-kidwavz-kv100-review-by-mark2410
 
Thanks to http://www.brainwavzaudio.com/ for the sample.
 
Brief:  Kid friendly headphones
 
Price:  US$42.50 or about £28
 
Specifications:  Bluetooth Profiles: HSP, HFP, A2DP, AVRCP, Bluetooth Operating Distance: 10 meters / 33 feet, Frequency range: 2.4 ~ 2.48 GHz, Distortion: ≤1%, Microphone Sensitivity: -40dB, Working Time: Music Play Time up to 6 hours, Talk Time up to 10 hours, Charging Time: Approx. 3hours
 
Accessories:  Micro USB charging cable and a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable for backup.
 
Build Quality:  They seem good, kinda simple looking construction, plastic and metal, nothing fancy.  Given the brand id trust they will stand up to usage.
 
Isolation:  It will greatly depend on the ears in use but they don’t isolate a massive amount.  Enough so that the child can use and you can still have a conversation in the same room.
 
Comfort/Fit:  There were fine, they did like all on ears make me want them off after a couple of hours though.  That’s probably not a terrible idea though given their target audience, to encourage a little break from time to time.
 
Aesthetic:  I like them, they are kinda funky, garishly bright.  I’m sure the black is much more grown up but they are aimed at kids so bright blue or pink seem perfectly reasonable options.  Maybe a yellow though or green for a little bit of gender neutrality though in the future?
 
Sound:  Well if you are reading this they aren’t for you.  They are for your child / small human of some connection.  They are meant to be a bit boring, a bit middling, bland, tepid.  It’s about keeping little ears safe while providing reasonable audio at a reasonable price.  It’s not exciting, it’s not aggressive, it’s just not.  So while the sound is very middling and well, I want to say meh.  However I’m not the target for them, they aren’t trying to be audiophile headphones but it’s hard not to listen to them in that way.  They are targeting young ears and trying to keep them safe while giving a good enough quality rendition that will keep them very happy and keep the adults around them very happy too.  I think in that sense they are great.  Just don’t expect them to give you world class audio quality because they won’t give it to you, they want even pretend to try to, it’s just completely not what these are about.  They are meant to be good enough and provide a safe listening environment.
 
Value:  Brainwavz are always good value and these are no exception.
 
Pro’s:  Super child friendly.  Cheap.  Backup cable for if the battery dies.
 
Con’s:  Audio quality is middling and tepid.

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INTRO:-
 
 We all know Brainwavz for making Super value for money products, and this year Brainwavz have been adding verity of products to its Headphone/Earphone’s line up.
 Last time they added a Bluetooth earphone BLU-100, this time around they have come up with something for kids aged 3-14 years. A Bluetooth headphone, “KiDWAVZ KV-100” with volume limited to 85db to protect kid's hearing and can be used in wired mode too.
 Comes in 3 colors too, mine is black, but I think kids will like Blue and Pink ones options more.
 Just to be clear, I don’t have much experience with Bluetooth headphones but I have a Bluetooth headphone, a “Smart Wildfire” which is a rebranded MeeAudio Runaway. I am gonna compare KV-100 with it.
 
 Disclaimer:- I would like thank Pandora and Brainwavz for this review unit. I haven’t bought these, but my review is not going to be biased.
 
 

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ACCESSORIES AND MISCELLANEOUS:-
 
 Now the box is a really simple one, even a kid can open these. Nothing fancies there in the box, there is an instruction manual cum warranty card, an auxiliary cable to use in wired mode, a micro usb charger cable and the headphone itself. USB port is located on the bottom of the right ear cup.
 Controller is located on the right side ear cup. 5 buttons, middle one will play pause, take/end calls and powers the device on and off. There are dedicated buttons to skip tracks on the left and right side of the cluster respectively and volume up down buttons on top and bottom.
 There is a problem though for users like me, the aux cable is not long enough, its 90cms I think, and with this aux cable you wont be able to use the controller or the mic, surprisingly it’s a three pole cable instead of 4!!
 Ergonomics is good, breathable pads and head bend looks nice, easily foldable too but those plastic thingies do protrude a bit. It would have been nice if they were designed to fold flat, but it’s okay.
 Isolation is below average and okay for an ear pad, sadly it barely fits my ear that might be a reason for lower isolation.
 Sadly this thing is not for big head people like me!! I had to struggle with the fit for a while, should fit kids nicely though.
 


 

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GETTING STARTED WITH:-
 
 Blu-100 and KV-100 are not much different.
 First of all charge it for 3-4 hours. It takes 90-120mins with 2A charger. Playback time ranges between 6-9 hrs.
 I used my J3 which has BT abilities along with Redmi 1S and Zenfone 2. Pairing it with any of these devices was easy.
 Just press the middle button for 2-3 seconds and a small LED starts blinking, means its ready, if you have it on your ears, it speaks out “Waiting for a connection”, immediately it start searching for nearest Bluetooth devices to pair with, when connected the feedback is “connected”, when low on battery it speaks out “LOW Battery” in regular intervals, cool right? To power this thing off you have to press the middle button for 4 seconds. Simple!!
Searching for it and pairing is easy and simple.
 When connected an extra icons can be seen on the notification bar for BT connectivity and Headset functionality.
 Then you can play your music, Controls are super easy, press the middle button and you are playing music, a double tap to the middle button will dial the last No. you called.
 There are dedicated buttons to skip tracks and volume adjustment but sadly you can adjust the volume of KV-100 only (not of the device) with volume up and down buttons.
 Its operating range reads 10 meters and its close to it but not 10 meters, 8 maybe, beyond that frames starts to drop and once you are beyond 8 meters away, it gets worse. If a few walls (or a room is) are in between you and your source, it struggles with connection and disconnects, not as bad as BLU-100 though.
 So my advice is to keep your deice in the room, don’t go too far. Experienced some delay with game’s sound, nothing major.
 Get it wired and, doom hits hard!! Nothing works, just a simple headphone, no headset functionality at all.

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SOUND QUALITY:-
 
 It’s fairly balance to me, it feels like that because of its more forward and ready to go mids. I like it, it’s bassy never the less, sadly lacks high end energy in Bluetooth mode. Its signature is warm and lite, easy on ears. Sound projection is on the upper side of the head and not from the middle of the head which makes this sound inoffensive and less focused, good for kids.
 Let’s split it in two parts, wired and wireless, I am not going to go hard at this headphone, made for kids after all.
 Let’s start with Wired:-
 It’s the mode which sounds the best, manageable resolution, good clarity, sweet sounding vocals. But then you lose the 85db limit. I am not sure how loud it gets but out of a single handheld held mobile, it aint much loud douh!! Kepp clam, you kid aint gonna damage any drums or anything, chill!!
 Bass: - Bass is not overpowering, not muddy but slightly loose, kids do want some bass rumble don’t they? I did, but not too much, exactly what KV-100 brings to the table. Not bassy, neither lacking, feels nice, it has a nice vive to it.
 For us adults, it lacks attack and precision, decay is not the best. Has some upper bass emphasis, doesn’t go much deep and doesnt move much air too.
 Mid range:-  It’s the driving spectrum of this headphones SQ, it’s so so nicely put together that even long listening sessions wont incur any irritation. Sounds much more natural and detailed than other cheap ear pads, I have a few like sho8800 and some other, none of them have their mid range as good as this. Vocals are sweet and clear, let it be female or male, both have nice body and energy to engage.
 Details and presentation is good too. Not crstal clear like sennheiser Amperior, but that thing is 6-7 times more expensive.
 Sounds stage is good surprisingly, as my Philips sho8800 and 3300 lack in the width and height when compared to KV, depth sadly not exactly deep.
 Highs:- Highs are recessed, I think there is no extension beyond 11-12khz. Till then it’s a slide from 7-8 kHz, lacks much energy which helps to keep the signature inoffensive and more suitable for kids. They wont be critical about cymbals and trumpet precision. It just lacks any kind of sharpness, feels blunt and acceptable.
 Still there is enough energy to engage and instruments sound good. Placement and separation is okay, not exactly precise but not hazy like other cheap headphones.
 Wireless:-
 I used my Redmi 1s and J3 for this. Remote works fine here, 85db limit is intact but loses Sound quality, let me explain.
 In this mode, bass feels more wooly, lacks serious amount of depth and extension, maybe there is nothing below 35Hz and upper bass becomes more prominent, lacks some of the definition and details too.
 Mids are slightly better, dosent lose much focus, sounds slightly worse than wired mode, some lag, slight artifact problem? Its not bad. Vocals and instruments all sound acceptably detailed. No serious degradation here. Imaging and presentation is still same thankfully.
 Highs do face problems like Bass, lacks most of the extension and precision, energy is okay, but, not for someone like me who enjoys sharp sparky highs!!
 All in all KV-100 sounds not so good in this more.

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 Comparison with Smart wildfire:-
 
 This one sounds a bit more serious, notes have good amount of depth. I will compare the wireless performance only. Sadly this is not made kids, no volume limitation or anything at all!! Has slightly better range.
SQ:- Bass is clearly better, has better extension, reaches deeper, has more details and more rumbles. This time its not just upper bass, it has some mid bass goodness too which adds to the fun factor.
 Mids are slightly recessed when compared to KV, but doesn’t lack any details, vocals sound more mature, and instruments sound a bit more engaging. In other words, it has better details, sounds more cohesive too. Sadly this one lacks in stage size, its okay, just not as big as KV. Imaging and presentation is better too.
 Highs are acceptable from these headphones, don’t roll off like KV, has okay amount of energy to them. Separation and placement is similar but layering is not so good.
 
 All in all, Wildfire is a similarly priced headphone made for adults, sounds better, not for kids.
 
 
 
 
 
 

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 Conclusion:-
 
  KidWavz KV-100 is an a safe bet for kids, has nice volume limit, sounds smooth and inoffensive, will fit kids nicely, BT functionality makes these more secure for kids as they are not so good with handheld devices and wires can tangle too!! Fitment is good too, folds to a compact size, not for big heads!!!
 KV-100 is not going to win awards for its SQ in BT mode but these are good when wired, sadly it loses some usability in this mode. All in all, it’s a nice headphone for kids. And functionally capable for grownups!!
 You guys can buy these from here!!
http://www.amazon.com/KV-100-Childrens-Bluetooth-Headphones-Brainwavz/dp/B014CLDSQK
 
 This is it guys!! Have a nice time, Practice safe listening.
 Cheers enjoy!!

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Brainwavz KIDWAVZ KV100:  A Step in the Right Direction
 

 

 

 

 

 
SPECS:
 
http://www.yourbrainwavz.com/kv100.html
 
Distortion                         1%
Frequency Range         ~ 2.48 GHz
Mic Sensitivity                 -40dB
Bluetooth                           4.0
Max Distance               ~   10mt(33ft)
Charge Time                ~   3 Hours
Music Playtime            ~   6 Hours
Talk Time                     ~  10 Hours
 
Bluetooth Functions
Microphone
Phone Call Control
Audio Player Control
 
WHERE TO BUY / COST:
 
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-earphones
$42.50 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.
 
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
 
The release of the Brainwavz KIDWAVZ introduces a new headphone designed for kids that can limit the maximum volume to +85 dB.
 
Pros: Color selection, sound is great using the cable and Bluetooth as longs as the player is decent.  Sound was marginal through my Android phone, but great using my iPod.  Range is excellent exceeding 10 meters.
 
Cons: “Waiting for connection” audio too loud.  When moved the TRS cable crackles both inside the headphone and player.  The USB-mini cable is hard to insert.  No obvious warning when the batteries are low leading to errors and audio breakup once the batteries become low.  Volume controls on the headset did not adjust the volume on my Android phone.
 
AESTHETICS
 
The KIDWAVZ is well designed for its price.  The colors are vibrant, headband comfortable, and earpads thick enough to not cause outer ear pain.  The functionality of the headphone adjustments is minimal, but works perfectly.  I have no problems wearing these for hours.
 
ACOUSTICS
 
Unamped: I tested the KIDWAVZ both through my iPod touch and Android Nexus 4.  The iPod did a much better job at sending a signal to the headphone.  The Android had some serious audio issues sounding flat and noisy at times.  I also tested the phone functionality of the KIDWAVZ which in my opinion is terrible.  The audio is so bad and distant that realistically it should not be used for phone calls.  I would love to see this feature removed and more time spent on securing the other qualities of the headphone like the cable noise and volume limit with the cable attached.
 
The unamped sound is clear, from bass to treble with no glaring faults, with a feel of being a bit muddy and sluggish.  None of this is surprising in a kids headphone.  It was a relief to find this headphone is not bassy or bright.  Good job Brainwavz!
 
Amped: Unfortunately the KIDWAVZ is difficult to listen to amped or using the cable in general.  The cable and TRS ends are poorly manufactured / designed.  They fit loosely into the female jacks on every piece of gear I own and when twisted or rotated the audio cuts out and often suffers severe audio degradation.  When the cable is seated just right the audio is pretty sweet.  The sound signature is slightly laid back, but very pleasant.  This headphone is not particular awesome at producing one part of the frequency response well, but it also does not fall short either.  The sound quality is actually very nice for this kind of headphone and with both ends of the TRS cable slid into place properly, which can take quite a while; the sound quality is actually awesome! 
 
If you hear something amiss it is probably a cable fit issue.  Even listening to Mozart’s Quartet in G Major, Op. K.156 I. Presto there were no obvious pitfalls of the KIDWAVZ.
 
CONCLUSION
 
With a few tweaks and quality enhancements the KIDWAVZ could actually become a wonderful headphone that I would have no problems recommending.  As it stands, with the cable issues and phone sound quality, I would wait and see if Brainwavz releases a new version of the KIDWAVZ.  The headphone overall is not bad, but it could be tremendously better with the cable fit issues, the phone functionality removed, and a +85 dB volume limit in place when the cable is used.
 
The audio quality is quite good once the cable is seated correctly, very even from bass to treble with no dip in the midrange.  Perhaps a bit slow and muddy at high volumes, but excellent otherwise.
 
-- Update --
Dropped the overall score to 3-stars because of the lack of fidelity and cheap feel

First of all, I’d like to thank Brainwavz for sending me a pair of the Kidwavz for me to try out. The KV100 is Brainwavz new Bluetooth headphone and it oriented towards children and not the mainstream market. The KV100 is also called “Kidwavz”, which I suppose makes it pretty clear who the target audience is. I got one of these to review because I was curious as to what Brainwavz were capable of making at such a low price point, and I was pleasantly surprised. While the BLU-100 was good, the KV100 impressed me much more. Because people who are considering these will not be the typical Head-Fi member, I’ll write a different review to accommodate. No fancy terms.
 
**Disclaimer** I received these from Brainwavz in return for an unbiased review.
 

 

Packaging & Accessories

The KV100 is a budget product and the packaging is not amazing, but it arrived at my door from HK undamaged, so it certainly does the job. It comes with a manual, 3.5mm cable and a standard micro USB charging cable. I guess that’s all you need and for $40, you can’t really ask for any more.
 

 

Design

The main selling point of the KV100 is that the Bluetooth functionality is limited to 85db, which makes them safe for kids. It is worth mentioning, however, that these go significantly louder than 85db when you use the 3.5mm cable with them. However, when it is on Bluetooth, the 85db specification appears to be quite accurate and I never felt like they went over that, but I didn’t measure it. I usually listen at slightly under 80db, so the volume levels were more than enough for me.
 
The permissible listening time for 85db is 8 hours in one day, so if you are a parent considering this for your child, unless he/she listens literally all day, they should be fine. If you are worried about the 3.5mm cable, maybe just confiscate it or something lol. The Bluetooth is very easy to setup, and after the initial setup, the headphones connect automatically every time you turn them on. They get around 6 hours of play time on each charge and they have an included mic as well for taking calls.
 
The overall build is decent, it feels very plastic, but not too flimsy. I have dropped it a few time off my desk and they seemed to take the hits pretty well. It is really flexible and can take a beating if stuffed into a backpack or something like that. The build is almost completely plastic, and everything is pretty self-explanatory. It is worth mentioning that if they run out of battery, you can still use them wired.
 
They are rather small headphones and they sit on your ear, as opposed to over them. They remain relatively comfortable, but they are don’t isolate much, maybe only a little more than the standard apple earpods. The adjustors are very easy to us, just slide them up and down. The headband padding is nice and soft. Overall, the design is rather practical and kids should have no problems using these.
 

 

Sound

The sound is actually surprisingly god, especially for a Bluetooth headphone in this price range. I won’t split it up into all of the sections that I usually do, but this headphone sounds very good. What Brwainwavz did with these is boost the midrange, where most of the things are, including vocals, to make the KV100 sound better at lower volumes. They give the impression of being louder than they actually are because the signing is louder than the instruments. These are not like Beats headphones that you see all over the place, the complete opposite, because Beats headphones pull back the midrange and you need to listen at a louder volume to have clear vocals.
 
They are quite detailed and kids will probably think that the Bluetooth functionality is quite cool. Everything sounds clear and they are actually one of the best sounding headphones I have heard in the price range. I’m sure that many kids will love these.
 

 

Conclusion

The KV100 is an excellent choice for parents out there who have their kids’ birthdays or something like that coming up. I would recommend these for children under 10 or so years old, children who are older than that are generally more responsible and if they really wanted to listen to music at a loud volume, I’m sure they would be able to find a workaround anyway. Right now, there are not many headphones out on the market that have a volume limiting function and the KV100 is a very good and safe alternative to stock earphones than come with your children’s phones or iPods. 

 
The Kidwavz KV100 is a new child-oriented headphone. Just like any other product that has kids in mind, the KV100 is a safer, more comfortable, and more durable alternative to other headphones in this price range. I myself have a ten year old sister, and after hearing about this product, I jumped at the opportunity to review these – most headphones don’t fit my sister’s head well, and the ones that do either get tangled easily or sound horrible.
 
Another thing to keep in mind is that many children like listening to music loudly – I have plenty of cousins who are around my sister’s age, and my aunts and uncles all agree that they crank up the volume better than what’s good for them. Why? Because it is simply easier for them to hear what they’re listening to when the volume is higher than usual.
 
We adults take for granted the caution (most of us) have regarding volume when listening to music, movies, and other things requiring headphones. Many of us are very self-conscious about how loud we let the music go, and constantly adjust the volume to reflect that. We know that we can damage our hearing later on by listening louder than the norm, just like we can ruin our eyesight by wearing glasses that are sharper than what our prescription needs.
 
Kids don’t understand this though – to them, there’s no real reason not to blast the music, unless it instantly hurts their ears. So while we keep our ears in check, many children don’t protect themselves from this.
 
So keeping this in mind, what overall advantages did I see using this over a regular headphones? Here’s a few things that came to mind while using the KV100:
 

1. Comfort: The KV100 is extremely comfortable – most headphones under $40 are horribly uncomfortable, and are painful to wear after half an hour or so. The KV100 generous with headband padding, and the ear pads are made of more comfortable material than those stiff pleather “padding” most other headphones use.
2. Size: These are small; made especially for kids, they fall right in the sweet spot in terms of size – it fits my sister’s head perfectly, as well as my cousins’. Most headphones sag on their heads, and are heavy… which leads me into the next section:
3. Weight: The KV100 is really, really light. Children will have an easy time carrying these around, whether in hand or in a backpack.
4. Build Quality: The KV100 is sturdy and rugged; heavy use won’t wear this headphone out, and withstands drops easily. There aren’t any loose parts, so whether kids carry this headphone by the headband or the ear cup, there’s no harm done. Made out of rubber/plastic with no sharp parts, I guess these fall into the category of “kid-proof”.
5. Headband adjustment system: The headband adjusts through a slider system. While most slider systems are tough to adjust while on the head, the KV100 is very easy to adjust when worn, even for kids. I wanted to test this with my sibling, and she was able to adjust it to her head without even giving it a second thought. Very intuitive, and easy to use.
6. Bluetooth: For tangle proof performance, these can be used well in Bluetooth mode. All you have to do is press the middle button to connect (when pressed, it voice activates “Waiting for a connection”), and press the middle button again to power off (voice activates “Power off”). There are also four more buttons; the top/bottom ones are to increase/decrease volume, and the left/right ones are to go forward/backwards a track. However, you can circumvent the buttons totally by arranging volume and tracks on the computer itself. The most important thing to remember is that in Bluetooth, the wire gets eliminated from the equation, preventing tangling, and also eliminating wire breakage.
7. Other connectivity: If you aren’t a fan of Bluetooth, whether it be for practical purposes or health reasons, the KV100 also works in a wired fashion; just connect the cable it comes with to the KV100 and viola! You have a regular wired headphone. The Bluetooth is just there to avoid wire tangling – if you don’t want that feature, you can opt to use the headphone like any other.
8. Volume Limited: Okay, listen up, this is important. This headphone, unlike most others, is volume limited, to protect children from damaging their hearing. Like we said, kids are very prone to loud listening, which can impair their hearing later on. Now you don’t have to worry about that – as long as your kid is using the KV100 (in Bluetooth mode), he/she cannot listen loud enough to impair hearing. CDC recommends listening below 85db for extended periods of time, so know that your kids’ ears are safe.
9. Sound Quality: I don’t want to confuse parents with different sound categories, as I do with my other reviews, so to put it simply, it sounds great. The KV100 sounds clear, and a very big departure from other headphones in this category that just boost bass by an unrealistic amount. This headphone has reduced bass – what that essentially translates to is kids turning the volume down more often than not; if a headphone has a boosted bass, at normal listening volumes the bass will be very overpowering, damaging even. With a reduced bass, listeners can hear everything clearly at moderate volumes.
10. I’d also like to note that it’s very hard to find a good-sounding pair of headphones in this price range, and much harder to find one that is meant for kids. With all the features the KV100 has, its good sound quality should not be taken for granted.

 
 
Value & Conclusion:
 
At $40, many parents may want to turn this away as a luxury they shouldn’t be spending on. But I want to emphasize that this is not a luxury, rather a necessity – just as parents would spend hundreds of dollars on a doctor to keep their child healthy, I believe it is important to also spend money on a headphone that can (and probably will) prevent hearing damage. I’ve seen firsthand how loud children listen to their audio, and it makes me flinch every time. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is (at least in my opinion) for children to protect their hearing, and the KV100 can do just that.
 
Not to mention, with a ten hour battery life, the Bluetooth definitely comes in handy, and the sound quality is spot on too. Comfort, build quality and weight are tailor-suited for kids, and were well done throughout. So should you get the KV100? In my opinion, the $40 price tag is easily compensated by the amount of features and pro’s this headphone has. If I was a parent, and wanted to protect my kids’ hearing while still giving them an overall great headphone, I would most definitely buy the KV100. 
 

 

Introduction:

I was asked by Brainwavz’/GPGSHK’s Pandora whether I was interested in reviewing their latest Brainwavz product, the Kidwavz KV100 that was especially designed for kids, so I agreed.
My review displays my honest opinion on the product and also features listening tests with two of my nephews, the youngest still fitting in the suggested age of 3-14 years (his elder brother doesn’t anymore, but I involved him anyway).


Technical Specifications:

MSRP: $42.50
Bluetooth Profiles: HSP, A2DP, AVRCP
Bluetooth Operation Distance: 10 meters / 33 feet
Distortion: ≤1%
Microphone Sensitivity: -40 dB
Working Time: Music Play Time up to 6 hours; Talk Time up to 10 hours
Charging Input Power: DC 5V
Charging Time: 3 hours
Volume Limiter: 85 dB (in wireless mode)
Delivery Content: Headphones, Charging Cable, AUX Cable, User Manual & Warranty Card
Suggested Age: 3-14 years


Delivery Content:

The childlike-yellow cardboard box contains the headphone, a straight 3.5 mm cable, a micro-USB charging cable and a quick start guide which is also functions warranty card.
What I more or less miss is some kind of hardcase or at least a pouch, but that would be probably too much to ask for ~$40 Bluetooth headphones. An additional carrying case can be bought from Brainwavz’ range of accessories.
 

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Aesthetics, Haptics, Build Quality, Comfort, Isolation:

The KV100 somehow resembles the design of headphones from Urbanears. The matte-black ear cups have got a huge Kidwavz logo on the left side and five buttons for playback control on the right side.

The ear cushions and the headband feel well, are perforated and soft, wherefore the headphone is comfy to wear. Clamping force (on kids’ heads) is rather on the moderate side, and even for my rather small grown-up head (I listen to my Audeze LCD-X at only two notches) there’s still more than one finger fitting in between my head and the headband when I have the headphone on my head and fully expanded, so it doesn’t only fit kids’ but also rather small grown-ups’ heads.
Weight is pretty low, though it could be a tad too high for very young children.

Build quality and haptics are neither excellent nor bad but good for the price, and the headphone seems sturdily built, which is a good thing in kids’ hands.

The included straight 3.5 mm cable is quite short (approximately 100 cm) and therefore appropriate for kids.

A nice feature is that the KV100 is foldable, although the size adjustment mechanism then peeks out.

Isolation is quite okay (probably 10 to 15 dB), but clearly behind well-tried On-Ears like the Sennheiser Amperior.


Features:

Ports, Buttons:

On the right ear cup, there are the 3.5 mm jack (which is a little unusual as it’s normally located on the left ear cup except for very few headphones) for the included AUX cable, a charging port, an LED and a microphone.
On the other side, there are five buttons for playback and phone controls and powering the KV100 on/off.

Powering on/off, Pairing:

Turning the headphones on and pairing are identical and are accessed by pressing the centre button for about five seconds when the headphone is turned off (before the first connection, the KV100 has to be selected in the transmitting device’s Bluetooth settings, then automatic connection works very fast).
Powering off is also achieved by pressing the same button for about five seconds.

Something negative I have discovered is that the spoken instructions like “waiting for a connection” or “power off” are very loud, which is surprising as the headphone was developed for children in mind.

Remote Control, Buttons:

The five buttons follow an intuitive layout with the play/pause button located in the centre that surrounded by the buttons for skipping tracks and adjusting volume (that is limited to 85 dB in Bluetooth mode). Something that neither my nephews nor I liked was that quite a lot of pressure is required to operate the buttons which also cause a loud clicking noise – that’s sad, as the buttons’ location is very well thought out.

Microphone, Phone Controls:

The built-in microphone shouldn’t be considered as alternative for making phone calls, as speech quality is quite low with many artefacts during transmission.

The KV100 supports the typical phone controls like taking and cancelling calls or redialling the last number, but I won’t go deeper as they are well described in the manual.

Wireless Range, Operation Time:

With the iPhone, I could achieve about 12 meters of wireless range, with two walls between, before connection got worse.

A neat feature is a wireless battery indicator with most Android and iOS devices that is located in the phone’s status bar. Battery is said to last for up to 6 hours; under real world conditions, I achieved between 5 and 5 and a half hours.


Sound:

Sound quality in wired and wireless mode was mainly tested with my iPhone 4 and BlackBerry Q10.
Before I started critical listening, the headphone got at least 50 hours of burn-in.

I’ll say it beforehand: sound in wireless mode is rather bad and clearly lacks behind what’s possible nowadays (just take a look at my reviews on the MeElectronics Air-Fi Matrix² headphone or Noble BTS receiver, both devices that had quite astonishing results in wireless mode (except for the bass roll-off the BTS has with low-impedance headphones), but are more expensive as well).
No matter what device (I tested with an iPhone 4 and 4S, BlackBerry Q10, HTC Explorer, Acer Iconia Tab, Google Nexus 7, PS Vita, an Acer laptop and a Lenovo laptop to preclude errors on the transport devices’ side) or audio formats (MP3, AAC, FLAC and WAV) were used, there were audible artefacts all of the time and sound was compressed and somehow lacked control (I tested with fully charged battery and multiple charging and discharging cycles).
Most bearable results could be achieved with AAC files on both of the iPhones, but the result lacked still behind the sound quality in wired mode, with audible compression and artefacts that weren’t much better than on my >10 years old Philips Bluetooth receiver.
Even both of my nephews discovered that sound in Bluetooth mode lacked behind wired connection – that’s quite a pity, as sound in wired mode is quite good and potent.
Adding a better Bluetooth chip along with raising the price for about $5-$10 would have been the better solution.

That said, therefore the critical listening tests that you can read below were made in wired mode.

Tonality:

The KV100 sounds only moderately bassy and warm and kind of resembles the Sennheiser Amperior’s tonality, but with less bass.

Overall tonality is warm and bassy with moderately recessed highs, wherefore general sound perception is relaxed and gentle, which is in my opinion a good signature for on the go.
Bass’s emphasis lays mainly on upper bass, upper midbass and lower ground-tone area, but is of lesser intensity than the Sennheiser Amperior’s bass emphasis – so the KV100 is less bassy than the Amperior and has also less ground-tone that also doesn’t extend as high, wherefore it is less warm, which I like as it is less extreme and therefore kids will get a quite balanced headphone.
From midbass down to subbass, level decreases with nothing going on below 30 Hz.
Mids are quite right and pretty felicitous and are only slightly on the darker side due to a minor peak that is located somewhere between the lower and medium mids. As the KV100’s mids are only slightly on the darker side, they sound much more natural than with most inexpensive headphones.
Treble is moderately recessed and has got only one rather broad-banded peak which is nonetheless below ground line at about 8 kHz. Presence area around 2 kHz is also recessed, giving the Kidwavz a relaxed treble.

All in all, one could say the KV100 is, tonality-wise, an Amperior with less bass emphasis, more lower treble, but less upper treble.
For the price, I’d say sounding is very well done, as mids are mostly accurate and realistically sounding, and bass isn’t overemphasised (it will be far too little for bassheads). However, percussions and trumpets sound somewhat compressed and unnatural, but still better than some other inexpensive headphones I know (such as the Koss Porta Pro or the muddy-muffled Urbanears).

Resolution:

Regarding the price, resolution is quite good. Headphones with astonishing price to performance ratio like the headphones from Superlux aren’t beaten by the KV100, but sound is still fairly good without muddiness or wooliness (unlike many low-priced no-name headphones that sound bad, muddy and muffled).
Bass is fairly solid and punchy, but somehow a little blunt. Even when the mid- and subbass are enhanced by equalizer and the upper bass is reduced, lows remain quite punchy and controlled, but still somewhat blunt.
Solely the midrange has got a moderate veil, though highs are okay. Keeping the price in mind, that’s still no biggie.

With fast music, the headphone doesn’t lose too much control and still doesn’t sound strained, though one could notice that dynamics aren’t the best.

As I said, there are no real resolution flaws regarding the price, although the open-back Koss Porta Pro is higher resolving, but doesn’t have a good tonality with too much low end and ground tone in my opinion, wherefore the KV100 is much more enjoyable.

Soundstage:

The KV100 has indeed something that I’d consider as soundstage.
Typical for a closed On-Ear headphone, extension to the sides isn’t the best, but existing. Positive is that there is spatial depth (I’d say about three fourths of the width).
In this regard, the cheap KV100 is better than the much more expensive Amperior that doesn’t have any soundstage at all, but a brilliant and precise directional localisation of which the Kidwavz lacks.
But for the price, instrument separation is quite good.

My nephews’ opinions:

The younger one really enjoyed and liked the KV100’s sound. So did his older brother (who actually doesn’t fit into the suggested age anymore), but he, as I allow him to listen to some of my other gear when he visits me, liked my other phones better and wouldn’t trade them for the Kidwavz if he had to choose.
However, both told me that sound was worse in wireless mode before I even mentioned it.

Both found the KV100 to be very comfy.


Conclusion:

Before I started listening in wireless mode, the KV100 would have gotten a quite good rating with 4 or even 4.5 stars – but as I said, that was before I ever listened to it once in wireless mode, where sound is quite compressed and lacks definition and control.
In wired mode, I can quite recommend the headphone (not only for kids), as sound is fairly good with a mature and non-exaggerated tonality.
Less enjoyable for us were the hard-to-press buttons and the loud voice commands in Bluetooth mode.
All in all, I can only recommend the Brainwavz Kidwavz KV100 in wired mode.

First off, these were supplied to me for review by Pandora at Brainwavz for my honest and unbiased opinion, my thanks to them for their trust in me to do this. Here is a link to them on Amazon USA: 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B014CNWSI2
 
I admit I almost passed on this one as I no longer have kids around the house for testing...but then I remembered that I have a neighbor with a nice "young lady"(she doesn't like to be called a"kid", lol) that I could try these out on and agreed to do this review. My thanks to my neighbor Stacy, a trendy, very opinionated 9 year old young lady that took a lot of time to give me her impressions of these. Now on to the review!
 
Firstly, the specifications and packaging content:
 
Specifications:



Bluetooth Profiles: HSP, HFP, A2DP, AVRCP 
Bluetooth Operating Distance: 10 meters / 33 feet 
Frequency range: 2.4 ~ 2.48 GHz 
 
Distortion: ≤1% 
Microphone Sensitivity: -40dB 
Working Time: Music Play Time up to 6 hours, Talk Time up to 10 hours 
Charging Time: Approx. 3hours


Contents & Accessories:

KIDWAVZ Bluetooth Headphones 
USB Charging Cord 
3.5mm AUX Cord 
Instruction Manual & Warranty Card

Colors Available:

Pink, Toy Blue and Black

 
I received these quickly and they were well packed and with no visible signs of damage to the package or headset. As these are aimed at a younger crowd, the yellow box fit. Not much on the box but the specifications and some Brainwavz/Kidwavz branding, and a large, solid clear window with which to peruse the KV100's clearly. 

 

 

 

 

 
Inside the box is a usb charging cable with pretty good length and an Aux cable that allows for hook up to your audio player or phone when not going wireless. It's length is ok, but could be a bit longer IMHO. It has a standard 3.5mm plug at both ends so it's easily replaceable if needed. Brainwavz says on the box that these have a 12 month warranty, but they in fact carry their new 24 month warranty, nice to know considering the target audience for these, it might be used quite often 
 
Build quality is ok for the price($39.50 on Amazon as of this writing). I think that for the target audience, they could have been a bit sturdier with less moving parts and exposed wires, but they seem pretty well designed all told. My only concern is the exposed wires, wandering little hands might well pull these out really easily if given the chance. Here's to hoping they hold up well over time. The buttons to control the bluetooth functions, while large and easy to hit, are a bit stiff and might be hard to press for little hands. They also all feel the same, making using said buttons a memory only affair. Otherwise, all is good on the looks and useage front. It needs to be noted that the controls available during wireless use are not available when plugged in, volume control is strictly based on the source used with the mic also being disabled. No issues were reported by my sidekick, she liked the looks and found it easy to use figuring it all out on her own in a few minutes. Bluetooth connection to my phone was effortless and it had a very good range, well over 30 feet line of sight in my testing. Even with a few walls thrown in, it performed well with no disconnects noticed. Battery life was also nice, I averaged 6+ hours on bluetooth, and the ability to use an Aux cable alleviated the worry of the battery going flat, just plug it in and you good to go again(see my worries on this for a kid below). Fit was good on even my big head, Stacy found them to fit great as well and found it not too tight for long usage, she said she only took them off once or twice the entire time she had them. 
 
As for the sound, I used my usual assortment of sources, from my Android 5.1.1 China phone (Umi eMax) to my LG G4 to my FiiO X1. Also used were a Samsung Galaxy S5 by my neighbor for her testing. All files on my end were flac, hers were high bitrate mp3's. Music was all over the map from Easy Listening to Death Metal, I play it all. Her selections were a bit more restrained with Justin Bieber(I know....) to One Direction. I listened for 20 hours, she used it a day, around 8 hours total. 
 
The sound out of the KV100's is a mixed bag, as these are purposefully limited to 85db to protect a young kids hearing while in bluetooth mode. It is just loud enough to hear the music on it clearly, but not too loud as to cause any damage to ones hearing. I think it's a good compromise. As a result of this, however, I found the sound to be a bit muffled, kind of like if too much padding were put on the ear pads. The bass signature is good, but not too deep, with a pleasing range and good detail. These were tuned more for midrange, with vocals taking center stage here, male vocals were clear and easy to hear, and female voices were a bit toned down, but still clear and easy to make out. Highs were like the bass, a bit subdued but clear and non fatiguing. These are obviously not meant for the audiophile, but they also don't sound bad at all. A good balance for the younger set just getting into listening to music. What I don't like is that once the Kidwavz' are plugged in, most of this goes away. The sound limitation is gone and these can get quite loud, enough to do some damage if not supervised. The signature is still much the same, but at a much higher volume, which changes it just a bit at the higher end to my ears. It doesn't get sibilant, but it can hurt a young person's ears after not too long a listening period. Therefore I think these should be limited to bluetooth only for kids, and leave the cable in the box or for adult use only.
 
As for my neighbor Stacy, she liked the overall sound "a lot", with no complaints listening to her favorite bands. She liked that the vocals sounded good, her favorite part. I guess that Brainwavz hit it right with the sound signature here, good on them. Her friends also chimed in on them, saying they looked good but they didn't like the big "KIDWAVZ" logo much saying it looked out of place on the small earcup. Take note, Brainwavz, looks are important to a kid these days....actually, they were for me my friends as well when I was a kid all those years ago  She also commented on the fact that she could talk with the KV100's over bluetooth on her phone, something I didn't think a kid would care about...guess I underestimated a young lady's ability to gossip at even that young an age 
 
Summing up, these are a great first bluetooth headphone for the younger set, not too pretentious in looks while not being so toned down as to look boring. Fix the logo and these should do just fine there. Sound quality is good if not great, but aimed squarely at what a young person likes to mainly hear, vocals. The rest of the signature is just good enough to allow a good beat to come through, which is a good thing indeed. I personally think, with the logos removed and replaced by a nice Brainwavz logo, that these might actually work well for adults as well. Not everyone needs a thumping bass signature all the time. These are very non fatiguing, and would really work well in a quiet office for instance. Add in that the build quality is good for the price and the long playback time between charges and this looks like yet another winner for Brainwavz!