Brainwavz Audio B400 4-Way Quad Driver 3D Printed IEM
Apr 3, 2017 at 4:52 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 1,463

razzer001

Member of the Trade: Brainwavz
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Update Feb 28th 2018:

Introducing the Brainwavz B400, Quad driver earphones that have been designed for high fidelity audio reproduction and ergonomic comfort through 3D printed housing.

The entire model is hand assembled by Brainwavz own team in our in house workshop, with every part scrutinized and quality control our top priority.

Through meticulous tuning, customizing of drivers and crossover, 3D printed boots to further refine the sound, the B400 is able to produce every part of the sound spectrum accurately, with a wide sound stage, the B400 is true ambrosia for the ears.

Pricing:

B400 Standard (Stay Frosty housing and standard 3.5mm stereo cable + 2.5mm balanced cable) - $189.50

Upgrade to colored variant + $30
Cosmic Black, Black, Green Fury, Knight Blue, Punk Pink, Berry Purple

Cable upgrade:

Candy Cane 2.5mm Balanced Cable + $30
Frosty 3.5mm Stereo Cable + $30
Onyx 3.5mm Stereo Cable + 30
Candy Cane & Frosty + $55
Candy Cane & Onyx + $55


Early impression of B400 @ SoCal 2017 here & here.

Final version impressions starting post 68 onwards here.

Reviews:

Review by @jant71 "The B400 - New Heights For Brainwavz!"

"The new B400 is a quad done right plain and simple. All the technical ability you'd expect from 4 armatures blended together the right way to give weight, texture, personality, and a wonderfully coherent and immersive presentation."
Review by @Brooko "Brainwavz B400 - Setting a new standard"

"So how do I see the overall value of the B400? Quite simply, it is unfathomable that you can buy this sort of quality at sub $200."
Review by @B9Scrambler "Brainwavz B400: Aim High, Hit Hard"

"The way this earphones portrays depth and width and everything in between is simply intoxicating and will have you seeking out tracks that push it's limits."

Review by HiFiChris "Smooth. Analogue. Nice."

"The Brainwavz B400 is a smooth, balanced, (in a positive way) soft and inoffensive in-ear with a remarkably even and harmonious tuning"
Review by DecentLevi "The pleasing B.A. 'that could'"

"The B400 is a remarkable entry into the mid-tier BA (balanced armature) market, yielding a nice heft to the mid-bass in a very non-fatiguing, soft and laid back manner, and by all accounts far better than most BA models I've heard. Voicing and mids are hard to beat."
Review by dweaver "Best Brainwavz IEM to date"

"If I could use only one word to describe the sound it would be "immersive". So what this means is I found myself not having a whole lot of WOW moments..."
More reviews to come...

Points on the materials & assembly:

- Balanced armatures made by well known US manufacturer
- 3D printer and resin are from/made in the US, printed & assembled in house by Brainwavz
- Premium cables 'Frosty' & 'Onyx' made in USA, silver plated, high purity OFC copper litz wire
- Premium balanced cable 'Candy Cane' made in Taiwan, high purity, ofc silver plated cable
- Standard cables are using OFC copper litz wire and are assembled using high quality Kester solder (made in USA)
- The litz wire used within the housing is from Europe by a premium litz cable manufacturer
- All units are let to burn in for 10hrs+
- Comply T-100 tips included (made in USA)
- The entire earphone, both the one in your hand and the ones that will go on sale are assembled and packed at our workshop in Hong Kong by our own team, so the quality control and attention to detail is very high.
- The entire process from printing the housing to final assembly, finishing, burn in, quality checking and packing per earphone takes 30+ hours.

Images of final version:


B400-Frosty-2.jpg BWAVZ_B400_Stay-Frosty_28-09-17_00.jpg BWAVZ_B400_Stay-Frosty_28-09-17_02.jpg BWAVZ_B400_Stay-Frosty_28-09-17_04.jpg BWAVZ_B400_Stay-Frosty_28-09-17_06.jpg BWAVZ_B400_Stay-Frosty_28-09-17_08.jpg BWAVZ_B400_Stay-Frosty_28-09-17_09.jpg BWAVZ_B400_Stay-Frosty_28-09-17_10.jpg
BWAVZ_B400_Berry-Purple_28-09-17_01.jpg BWAVZ_B400_Blue-Knight_28-09-17_01.jpg BWAVZ_B400_Cosmic-Black_28-09-17_01.jpg BWAVZ_B400_Glossy-Black_28-09-17_02.jpg BWAVZ_B400_Green-Rage_28-09-17_01.jpg BWAVZ_B400_Punk-Pink_28-09-17_01.jpg B400_BWAVZ_1_RED.jpg


Older updates, some pictures and info out dated.

I am happy to announce that Brainwavz Audio will continue to build on the success of the very popular B Series line of armature earphones with our latest triple and quad driver based models, the B300 & B400. Early developmental versions of the both models will be available for listening at Canjam SoCal 2017, if your at the show, drop by and give them a try and let us know what you think.

The B300, triple armature driver earphones have been tuned to produce a full, rich sound that will satisfy any audiophile and caters to any genre of music.

The B400, builds on our previous models, with meticulous tuning, every part of the sound spectrum is produced accurately, each driver focusing on producing audio clearly with detail, coupled with a wide soundstage, the B400 is ambrosia for the ears.

Both the B300 and B400 will be made from die cast metal with MMCX connectors and Brainwavz own specially designed cables that will help to deliver a pure audio signal.

This is a on going project and we will update this thread over time, so stay tuned :)



B400_white_back.jpg
Update 9/2017:

First look at the B400 in crimson red, 3D printed housing

B400_BWAVZ_1_RED.jpg

Update 15/9/2017 Final design - Stay Frosty Finish

B400-Frosty-2.jpg
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Apr 10, 2017 at 10:20 AM Post #5 of 1,463
Those are so sexy,really!.....
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Yeah! I love how compact the MMCX connectors looks to be, AND, they managed to keep the design similar to the B100/B150/B200 despite metal housings. Metal housings were a sought out feature on the lower end models. Glad they could get it done here. Looking forward to more impressions on how these sound.
 
Apr 15, 2017 at 4:32 PM Post #11 of 1,463
Hello all, reporting on my experience with the maverick upcoming IEMs known as B300. Brainwavz happened to be the first booth as I entered the exhibits on Can Jam last weekend in L.A. At first I tried their B400, which to me was slightly too bass dominant, yet not quite enough upper details to be V-shaped. Sounded quite BA-ish like many Balanced Armature's I've tried before. Then came the Brainwavz B300.
 
From extensive testing on multiple DAPs and source tracks over those two days, here were my basic impressions: Overall a seductive, delectable sound with lush vivid mids, soundstage so great that it's nearly holographic; extends far in a very pleasing yet not overdone way, bass that's robust and authoritative in a very pleasing way that's not overdone, great FR, excellent impactful dynamics, and perhaps my favorite aspects are both the voicing / timbre / neutrality, and the overall clarity and realism of this IEM. You get subterranean bass when called for, voices that sound like they should, drums that hit hard with good weight to the bass, layers that seem to extrude far away from the head and everything throughout the spectrum is as clear as a whistle.
 
The bass seemed a nuance above neutral, which IMO is a very good thing for IEMs, as you often need to compensate for the low frequencies that get drowned out when traveling. It's definitely still closer to neutral than basshead territory and is one of its' better attributes. Interestingly the vendor staff told me that the final version will have a much improved cable, which I can't wait for, being that it already performed so marvelously even with the very thin / flimsy temporary cable that was used for the prototype. They said the final cable will be about 2x thicker and of a non-microphonic type, also detachable.
 
I also went on to try their entire line-up of at least 8 other IEMs, of which I hate to say that I was highly under-whelmed with. By comparison their other offerings that I tried sounded quite dull / flat, and either lacking in detail or in bass quantity / quality. Overall I tried at least 24 other IEM's from 6 other companies at the meet (sorry I have no record of other company / model names as I'm still more of a 'full size can' hobbyist), but focusing only on sub-$400 IEM's, which is to say I had not tried any multi-thousand dollar custom IEMs. One such IEM I tried that actually came close was the Sphear for Focal. Both myself and another friend were quite impressed at how well this one does with clarity, dynamics and how linear its' FR was when measured. HOWEVER after I got him to try the B300, he personally thanked me for introducing it to him, and told me he was definitely more impressed with it. He really liked the clarity, soundstage and especially the bass in contrast to the Sphear, but mentioned something to the tune of the bass deday perhaps being a smidget too fast, which though was something I disagreed with. IMO the Sphear is a moderately close contender to the B300, however takes a moderate step back in all regards: bass quality / quantity is cut back considerably, mids are similar but not as vivid, clarity is similar, yet the highs sounded noticeably artificial / shrill in comparison to the B300. The Sphear is available for only $99 from Focal BTW.
 
On the topic of prices the B300 is said to go for approximately $249 - $300 but the price may not be finalized yet. It's a custom designed IEM by the fine US staff of Brainwavz, which also has offices in Hong Kong. Regarding availability of the B300 initially I was quoted something like two months, but per a most recent conversation with Brainwavz staff it seems more likely to be sometime this summer, though a final production date does not seem to be set yet. I would hope that @razzer001 or perhaps another Brainwavz staff would post future updates of product availability here.
 
Regarding fit, I would say this is another strong points of the B300 as well as most of their entire product line. I have ears that are somewhat deep causing many IEMs to not fit at all. But this one is another universal fit, and I was able to get a secure fit with great sound from this with no problem at all; unlike many others that require a significant amount of turning / forcing then feel painful. Also regarding aesthetics, I was pleased to see that these do NOT look like what some people call 'hearing aids', but especially with the red version look very sleek and cool while being worn!
 
I would also like to mention that... as strange is it sounds I was NOT a fan of the BA (Balanced Armature) technology! In the past I have had at least 3-4 very negative experiences with other IEMs that were I think made from 1-2 BA drivers, of which to me sounded inexcusably muddy / flat / dull and almost completely void of any clarity regardless of tips used, insertion, level, etc., which caused me to write such poor reviews of those that I probably lost a few friends along the way, LOL. HOWEVER with the B300 from Brainwavz, this will all turned on its' head. I noticed absolutely 0 of those negative aspects mentioned above that I used to associate with BA drivers, but instead was getting a very robust and clear sound overall!!
 
Regarding amping: I had initially tried it actually through my tiny matchbook-sized FiiO E06 amp connected directly to an old outdated flip phone I was using as a source since I'm currently without a DAP... and the majority of the above glowing impressions were actually done through this very modest rig! I also tried them directly from an iPad, to which it also sounded good, but TBH I was lacking for a bit more refinement being un-amped and playing lossy files. Brainwavz staff also let me borrow the B300 to try with a couple other top DAPs that I was interested in: 
Sony Walkman NW ZX100. Unfortunately for me, after a fairly lengthy test I concluded this pairing was not for me. The overall refinament seemed lacking in dynamics, clarity, energy and soundstage, which was strange because on their MDR-V6 headphones I was getting a sound that was transparent, linear, crisp detailed, and punchy.
* Onkyo DP-X1A: WOW! This was by far the best IEM + DAP combination I've heard to date. Do note however that I've only tried about 60 IEM's through the years, being more of a 'full size can' hobbyist. From this pairing I got all the best elements described above: deep subterranean bass, lush mids, excellent clarity & soundstage, etc. This is a very specially designed DAP that I highly recommend, and was my personal favorite out of at least 8 similar tier DAPs I tried at the meet, of which I have on order.
* FiiO X5 v3: Sounds good, with acceptable sound throughout each aspect, but very underwhelming in comparison to the above Onkyo DAP, especially taking several obvious steps behind in terms of soundstage, clarity bass definition and sheer realism. It's a shame though seeing how this is their brand new version of the X5.
It would seem the chosen amp for the DP-300 is crucial to its' sonic performance, however at least it was driven well by a cheap amp connected to a regular phone, and a top-flight DAP took it to amazing heights as well. And of course there can be numerous other pairings that do these fine IEMs well too.
 
I also invite our well-known IEM enthusiast friend Moe (@moedawg140) to the Brainwavz booth to give these a whirl. After spending perhaps a good 45 minute there and some apparently thorough testing, he told me his chosen favorite was their B400. This doesn't surprise me as it would seem his preference from other favorite IEMs may steer slightly closer to a dark tonality with tamed highs (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). He also seemed impressed with the B300's, however had also mentioned something about inconsistency amoung individual pairs. So I came back later and asked to try all three pairs of the B300's, and for some reason I couldn't seem to catch any significant difference at all; though this could have been due to meet conditions and I wasn't in my most analytical state by then. I also asked the staff about this, to which they assured me the final production units will have this solved, being precision factory made vs. the hand-made prototypes I tried. However for me, this was a non-issue and I personally regard these as so good that I'm holding out for any IEMs until I can get my hands on the B300!
 
Apr 15, 2017 at 5:02 PM Post #12 of 1,463
Great post! Plenty of good tidbits there. Good news about the cable thickness which is a concern from the lower B's!
 
Apr 15, 2017 at 5:10 PM Post #13 of 1,463
DecentLevi - Hope all is well. Would like to explain part of your post, with a couple of clarifications: I did like the B400, but when compared with the first prototype B300 I heard (blue shells). The B400 compared to the second prototype B300 I heard (red shells) brings it to more of an apples to oranges comparison - meaning I don't have a true favorite, since both have their individual strengths, none truly outweighing the other in order to give only one the crown, in my eyes. Kind of like how I feel between the Lola and Layla when I listened to both back to back.

Also, with regards to my listening preferences, I don't have one particular preference. It's all about my current mood, as my tastes in music, and the gear that I use to listen to my music, vary greatly. I can appreciate the warm with exceptionally yummy bass quality of the TH-X00 Ebony headphone and appreciate a neutral with clarity Bluetooth IEM such as the BLU-200. What was on my mind today to listen to? Different types of IEMs; from the uber budget (MEE Audio IEMs), to expensive (to most people in the world) in-ears that can pick up background/ambient noise as you are listening to whatever you've got your system plugged into (Sensaphonics 3D AARO 3D-2).

Looking forward to listening to Brainwavz's finalized products whenever they are available!
 
Apr 17, 2017 at 2:33 AM Post #14 of 1,463
  Nice to see Brainwavz continuing their Balanced Armature line-up and especially finally penetrating into the mid-fi (and probably high(er)-end?) territory. 
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Hello HiFiChris,
 
Thanks for that! Here at Brainwavz we are constantly evolving and the next logical direction is for us is to expand into the mid-fi and higher end region of the market.
We have some exciting things planned! I will keep you posted.
 
Apr 17, 2017 at 2:55 AM Post #15 of 1,463
Hello DecentLevi,
 
Thank you for your in depth and concise review of our Brainwavz B300 and B400. I really appreciate the level of detail and thought that went in it. I and our Brainwavz team will be using the feedback here to improve these products and I personally will be updating you all here on our progress.
 

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