[waynes world]

If you have the mh1c, you may want to try their tips on the R1.

 

[kova4a]

Quote:

If you have the mh1c, you may want to try their tips on the R1.

Actually, I did some more tip rolling and didn't like what the mh1c's tips did to the sound. Yeah, they are the most comfortable silicone tips for it and give you a good seal fast but sound-wise I don't like them - I just can't describe it but the sound loses some of its focus and becomes too smooth, airy and loose. It's very noticable with male vocals and also with the bass. The bass seems more in quanitity but actually it just loses its tightness and impact only to gain a looser bigger body. 

 

[waynes world]

Actually, I did some more tip rolling and didn't like what the mh1c's tips did to the sound. Yeah, they are the most comfortable silicone tips for it and give you a good seal fast but sound-wise I don't like them - I just can't describe it but the sound loses some of its focus and becomes too smooth, airy and loose. It's very noticable with male vocals and also with the bass. The bass seems more in quanitity but actually it just loses its tightness and impact only to gain a looser bigger body. 

Ok. I think that you have more discerning ears than I do! I will try the stock tips with the R1's again.

 

[Disconnekt]

Just picked up the R1 a short time ago with Amazon's Cyber Monday price ($29.50 US), and I'm loving it.  Definitely convinced there's something wrong with my M5s now.  Sure, the R1 isn't perfect (a bit spiky around 4-5kHz), but it EQs out nicely, and the top is much sparklier and smoother than my M5... there aren't any particular frequencies overemphasized or completely missing like on the M5, and the treble is reasonably well-extended.  This is definitely a fun earphone.  The bass seems to be quicker and more impactful than my Sony MH1C, even if the MH1C does have a slight edge in sub-bass extension (well, not really, but the R1 rolls off slightly at the very bottom and the MH1C doesn't) and the R1 has a slightly bigger mid-bass hump than the MH1C.  Unlike the M5, which has horrible mud at and around 200-250 Hz, the lower mids/upper bass of the R1 are pretty clear, and I only need a slight EQ dip to get them where I want them.
 
I'm not a huge fan of the relaxed midrange in the R1, but I've discovered that taping over the port on the back brings the mids out, and now the R1 is sounding a lot like the M2, which I love, except with less low-mid/upper bass bloat and emphasis (which opens up the soundstage) and much better extension on both ends.  Definitely a keeper, and I think I'll be returning the M5, as my unit sounds unacceptably bad... smeared over the entire frequency range, with major bloat in the lower mids and upper bass, horribly shrill upper mids, and roller-coaster treble frequency response that falls off way too early.  I might order another pair to see if I can hear them as they're supposed to sound, but I may just settle for the R1 because I'm having so much fun with them, and they work better in my ears for activity (and are slightly easier to drive) than the MH1C.  I do prefer the sound of the MH1C, which is near perfect to my ears except for the slow bass, but it isn't exactly well behaved when I'm moving, and I have to constantly reset the seal.  The R1 after EQ is pretty close now.  Interestingly, even without considering the right speaker polarity problem I had with the first R1 I ordered, I remember that one sounded a lot more shrill and less refined than this one does.  Brainwavz might have some QC issues, but at their prices and with their (and Amazon's) customer service, I can't really complain.  It's just a little aggravating to not know whether I just don't like an IEM or if I have a defective unit.

 

[waynes world]

Quote:

I'm not a huge fan of the relaxed midrange in the R1, but I've discovered that taping over the port on the back brings the mids out, and now the R1 is sounding a lot like the M2, which I love, except with less low-mid/upper bass bloat and emphasis (which opens up the soundstage) and much better extension on both ends. 

 
Hey, great tip! I just did the tape job, and yeah, it does bring out the mids. Cool!
 
Quote:

I might order another pair to see if I can hear them as they're supposed to sound, but I may just settle for the R1 because I'm having so much fun with them, and they work better in my ears for activity (and are slightly easier to drive) than the MH1C.  I do prefer the sound of the MH1C, which is near perfect to my ears except for the slow bass, but it isn't exactly well behaved when I'm moving, and I have to constantly reset the seal.  The R1 after EQ is pretty close now. 

 
Yeah, I go back and forth regarding which one I like better SQ-wise. Unfortunately the cable on the MH1C is what does it in for me. I can get the R1's into my ears in no time and they stay there, and I don't notice the cable at all. Complete opposite with the MH1C.

 

[Disconnekt]

Quote:

 
Hey, great tip! I just did the tape job, and yeah, it does bring out the mids. Cool!
 
 
Yeah, I go back and forth regarding which one I like better SQ-wise. Unfortunately the cable on the MH1C is what does it in for me. I can get the R1's into my ears in no time and they stay there, and I don't notice the cable at all. Complete opposite with the MH1C.

 
No problem!  I always like to see what messing around with the ports and such does to a headphone's tuning, and I think in this case, they should have kept the back closed.  To my ears, closing the back cuts down on the upper midrange resonant peak a bit and fills the recessed mid-midrange back in, with no appreciable effect on the low or high end.  I think only the small driver's chamber is ported in the back, but I can't confirm that without cracking it open, and I'm not about to do that.  I like it way too much!
 
The MH1C's cable doesn't bother me (I kind of like the j-cord, actually, and when clipped to the back of my shirt from the right ear split, it stays put quite well).  But the casings are so well-sealed in the front with so little internal volume, and the tip seals with my ear so well, that they are incredible sensitive to pressure changes... just walking around with the headphones in makes an loud thump that I can feel in my ears from the suction and change in pressure.  It's like my entire skeleton is horribly microphonic.  Also, over time, these have a tendency to slowwwwwwwwwly migrate out of my ears, so I'm always having to readjust them and reset the seal during long listening sessions.  I can deal with that if I'm sitting still, but it's a lot worse when I'm walking around.  The R1 suffers from none of these problems.  SQ-wise, it's an easy win for the MH1C in my opinion, especially for acoustic/orchestral music and stuff with lots of detail in the midrange and high-end, and dense metal mixes with a lot of energy in the upper mids.  I like the R1s better for anything with lots of impact in the bass, such as non-ambient electronica and some metal and rock mixes with the kick drum emphasized.  Since that's the kind of music I'm likely to be listening to when I'm active, it works out great!

 

[lexfu]

Quote:

 
Hey, great tip! I just did the tape job, and yeah, it does bring out the mids. Cool!

 
Quote:

I'm not a huge fan of the relaxed midrange in the R1, but I've discovered that taping over the port on the back brings the mids out, and now the R1 is sounding a lot like the M2, which I love, except with less low-mid/upper bass bloat and emphasis (which opens up the soundstage) and much better extension on both ends. 

 
Hi guys, new to the audiophile scene. Was looking around for a slightly more affordable iem and somehow ended with the Brainwavz R1. Just got 'em and testing them out while checking some info on it =). May I know what do you guys mean when you 'tape the port on the back'? Does it mean using tape to cover the small holes on the opposite side of the ear pieces?

 

[AuxIn]

Quote:

 
 
Does it mean using tape to cover the small holes on the opposite side of the ear pieces?

 
yes

 

[lexfu]

Cool, gonna try the taping  when I get home.
 
So far quite pleased with these pair of iem. The comply tips really does sound isolation from external environment. Also, I was able to hear 'more' from tracks and games that I never seemed to have noticed before (in the bass-ier spectrum). I guess I have been using pretty bad earphones before the R1. 

 

[Lifted Andreas]

I'll be selling my R1s soon if anyone is interested.

 

[dragon2knight]

mp4nation has a new deal up for these if interested. Only $38.00 with FedEx 2 day for free. These are well worth that small amount of money! Here's a link:
http://www.mp4nation.net/brainwavz-r1-dual-dynamic-speaker-in-ear-earphones

 

[sacrifice13]

Debating whether to get these or the Soundmagic E10, any comparisons?
Edit: or even the E30's which I'm also considering?

 

[djvkool]

Quote:

Debating whether to get these or the Soundmagic E10, any comparisons?
Edit: or even the E30's which I'm also considering?

 
They're quite different, E10 is comparable to M4 I believe...

 

[fixxxer667]

Quote:

Debating whether to get these or the Soundmagic E10, any comparisons?
Edit: or even the E30's which I'm also considering?

 
Also pondering on this as I need a new pair of headphones + mic (my old m4s gave up the ghost) and I'm kinda torn between the R1s and the E10s.

I've had no experience with the soundmagic e-series but I must say I preferred the sound of the pl30 and pl50 compared to the m4s.. still the dual design of the R1s interests me, specially at this price range and the reviews seem to be overall positive..

 

[dragon2knight]

Quote:

 
Also pondering on this as I need a new pair of headphones + mic (my old m4s gave up the ghost) and I'm kinda torn between the R1s and the E10s.

I've had no experience with the soundmagic e-series but I must say I preferred the sound of the pl30 and pl50 compared to the m4s.. still the dual design of the R1s interests me, specially at this price range and the reviews seem to be overall positive..

If you need a mic, then the R1's might not be for you. It seems that the mic placement on the R1's is a bit high, like right below your ear. I dont know if it effects the way it works, anyone here have these and can comment here?