Warwick Acoustic Bravura

Warwick Bravura: Almost Perfection

Warwick Bravura is a close system headphone + amplifier setup. Costing the same price as a Susvara if purchased as a set, this may just be your endgame to everything. However not everyone will be impressed or want such a system.

Disclaimer: this is my own personal set, purchased and paid for. I did got them separately from a second hand Sonoma M1 system and added on the Bravura headphone later, as such the color difference.

Note: I will be taking in consideration the entire package , dac+amp+headphone, as the Bravura system as they can’t be used separately as of the time of this review. As such the value I will gauge them by is also at the system level.

Video Review:


Scoring System:

This is added to give a simple scoring with emphasis on sound quality but not forgetting build and comfort. The maximum score is 40.

10: Tonality: timbre, accuracy, balance
10: Technicality: details, separation, clarity
10: Enjoyment: soundstage, dynamics, vocals
5: Build: how well is it built
5: Comfort: how Long can you wear

Tonality: 10
Technicality: 10
Enjoyment: 8.5
Build: 4
Comfort: 3

Total: 35.5/40


TLDR

The Bravura is a marvel with some of the best tonality to match its end game level technicalities. It may just be the best you can get your hands on without spending multiple times the system price. However the Bravura system is the antithesis of this hobby, where one mix and match to meet personal preferences.

Introduction

The Bravura was introduced in 2022 by Warwick as a step up over the original Sonoma M1 headphone. Utilising the same electrostatic technologies with additional refinements over the original M1, it is to provide an improved sonic and comfort experience. Priced at $2000usd, it seems to be a steal but unless you are a original Sonoma user, you must buy the Sonoma M1 Dac/Amp as it only works with the inbuilt Energizer there at 1,350v. That will set you down by another $4000usd. However there are some perks to using such a system in addition to its great sonic capability.

Build

As a system, both headphone and amplifier are very well built. The amplifier I have is the silver version from the original M1 while the headphones were the black version.

The amplifier has a really nice build to it, made of solid metal with a shiny faceplate. It has volume knob with good resistance, smoothness and some slight indents. The switches both front and back have some of the nicest feel when flicking them. In Fact I will say they are the nicest switches I ever used. The Warwick/sonoma system uses a Lemo plugs which are compact but lock really securely.

At the back of the amplifier you get digital input and analog inputs. Just note all inputs are digitized, even via the analog input. As mine is a second hand set, I didn’t have the original usb cable, which I just use one from DDhifi. The only oddity about this amp is the in off switch is at the back. For a device designed for desktop usage, the placement is weird. Maybe they expect the headphone to never be plugged out and the amp always on.

The headphones are matt black with a grippy textured coating. I’ll start with the negative first:
This coating can flake off after some usage as you can see in the photo.



Other than the coating that can flake off, it’s a well built headphone and really light for its size. The frame is made of magnesium and nylon, both of which are very durable and light. In the Bravura, they also added additional padding on the headband which is really plush. The headphone uses sheep leather, which doesn’t flake over time (unlike the coating!) . Overall the look/ especially for the black version is really sleek as everything is matt black.

The cables are really well built with LEMO connectors. However they are also quite stiff and the plugs are quite long.

Comfort

The comfort of this headphone scored low for me due to clamp force and also the stiff cables. My head may just be a touch too big as such the clamp force is quite significant. Even utilizing a large box to condition the headphone over a long period only improved it slightly. There's also the cable which has a very long connector and stiff wire. It makes the whole experience not exactly the most comfortable setup to use. Thankfully there's a lot of cushion this time round compared to the M1, making it usable for long periods but definitely not the headphone I want to wear on hours end for general relaxation. Anything from ZMF, Focal or Hifiman will be more comfortable.



Sound Quality

Songs I used for this Review:
One Wing Angel (Final Fantasy 7 Soundtrack)
Ultime (FF14 Soundtrack)
The Witch From Mercury (The Witch from Mercury Soundtrack)
The Brave (Op: Freiren)
I really want to stay at your house (Cyberpunk Soundtrack)
Suzume (Suzume Soundtrack)
Shatter Me (Lindsey Stirling)
Unravel (Ado Cover)
Hold My Hand (Topgun Soundtrack)

Timbre

Neutral with a touch warm timbre Generally balanced signature with no emphasis. Will take on the emphasis on what the song/music wants. Very suitable for orchestra/soundtracks

Dynamics/Transient

Higher dynamic. Goes from black to thumping highs and soft zingy treble easily. It sounds “quick” to move from one note to other but in a very natural way

Details

As detailed as it gets for a headphone. Small little bass notes to tiny treble bells are distinct and identifiable. This is obvious in soundtracks like witch from mercury and ultima.

Clarity

Clear sounding with no veil. Even in songs with a lot of mid instruments and vocals with bass playing like shatter me, everything remains clear and tangible.

Separation

Superb separation regardless of how complex the song is. This can be songs like in Suzume, there’s a section at the 3:20s where bass/vocals/chants/violin/bells/some other treble instrument are all playing in the mix. The interesting thing is that the bravura maintains this clear separation even at relatively high volume all the way till distortion. Most other headphones at that volume sound congested to me except maybe the CA-1A.

Positioning

The positioning is some of the best I heard. It layers and spreads across the front. Listening to One Wing Angel is quite an experience with it. Instruments are spread out throughout and the Bravura can identify the position quite exactly. Only one headphone I have tried gave me a clearer positioning and that’s the ZMF Verite Close Stb running off Enleum HPA-23Rm

Bass

Very well controlled. Goes deep if required and has sufficient impact. The quantity I will put it below the abyss 1266 and similar to a ZMF atrium open. However the quality of the bass is the best in how clean and controlled it is. There’s a section in “I really want to stay at your house” track with a sustained synthetic bass note which in the Bravura you can hear the texture really clearly.

Mids

The mids are just smooth, clear with a touch of warmth. Clarity and tonality in the mids is superb. There’s no sibilance in the upper mids.

Treble

This is similar to the mids. It’s well balanced without harshness and generally easy to listen to. I do think for a person that’s really into treble, this may not have enough sparkle for you.

Volume & Distortion

I usually don’t include this as for me it’s quite irrelevant as I don’t listen loud enough (70-75db) to hear it normally. However while testing I usually go higher (85-90) to hear certain parts of a song. The Bravura distorts when played loud enough for the purpose of reviewing (90db +). This is however due to a particular track, Suzume, which has strong sub bass which can’t be heard. It was the only track I heard distortion but it’s worth mentioning as I use that track to test amps to see how far they can load with headphones. In normal volume listening and most tracks, you won’t hear an issue. This also correlates to why some people who heard it at shows complained about distortion as you will need to crank it way above the ambient in a show setting which results in overloading. This distortion sounds closer to an amp distortion than a headphone limitation based on my experience when testing other low sensitivity headphones on dongles which have limited power. It sounds really similar to it.

Comparison

ZMF Atrium Open

The difference is really the absolute clarity that the Bravura provides across the spectrum. IThe Atrium is a touch smoother and warmer. The bravura also feels a touch more exciting. Overall very similar in balance for both. Go for Atrium if you want a smoother and more relaxing sound.

Abyss 1266

This Abyss 1266 is a very exciting headphone which is absolutely fun to listen if you are looking for a very dynamic sound that has hard hitting bass and exciting mids. The technicality of the abyss 1266 is very similar to the bravura if driven by a proper amp and the choice between the Bravura and it should be purely based on which you enjoy more.

Hifiman Susvara

If you are looking for a more airy signature while maintaining most of the technicalities, I find the Susvara is probably the more appropriate headphone. If you are looking for body, balance and absolute clarity, the Bravura is the better choice. But if big airy sound is what you want while still maintaining technicalities, the Susvara may be the better choice especially considering you can use amplifiers to change the sound slightly to have more body or clarity which you don’t have an option on Bravura unless via a EQ.



Conclusion

The Bravura system is to me one of the best you can purchase at this price point. Considering everything in the package, the sound quality and without any fideling, you get one of the best systems out there. Other than the coating peeling and comfort issues that I faced, everything else is really close to perfection and I truly enjoy this system. Is it the very best for everyone? I probably don't think so. Everyone has preferences and if you mix and match with the wide range of equipment out there, there is probably something for everyone and most likely many will not choose the Bravura as the one. However if one does not want to spend the time to really go through everything out there, it may be worth trying Bravura. If this fits you, it may be your true end game, since you won’t be able to upgrade to anything else! (unless warwicks comes out with Bravura 2 or a Sonoma 2 amp, but that's another story)