MBRuss
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2010
- Posts
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Brainwavz S1 Review:
The Brainwavz S1 headphones are a relatively inexpensive set of in-ear monitors, currently selling on Amazon for around $60/£37. This puts them in the very saturated market of upgrade headphones for MP3 players and smartphones, which is a tough place to be. They’re aimed at those who don’t want to spend crazy money, but want a distinct improvement on the headphones that came bundled with their music player, but do they fit the bill? I was recently fortunate enough to receive a pair of Brainwavz S1 headphones to review, courtesy of MP4Nation, so set to work finding out.
So, what’s included?
Well, your modest outlay for the Brainwavz S1’s won’t have you wondering where the money went, that’s for sure. The neatly presented box is tightly jammed with a whole host of accessories that will leave you wanting for little else. You get the S1’s themselves, a zipped hard case to keep them protected when not in use, a wealth of different tips in various styles and sizes, including a set of Comply foam tips, an airline adaptor, and a warranty card for the 12 month warranty. I’ve noticed that this warranty is being enthusiastically enforced by MP4Nation, who are actively monitoring the reviews on Amazon to assist with any issues that people might have, and arrange replacements for them if necessary.
What about the headphones themselves?
They’re an over-the-ear design, with the cable reliefs pointing upwards to facilitate wearing them this way. The housing is made from aluminium and is a metallic grey colour, with Brainwavz printed in white along the side. The cable reliefs are a grape purple colour, as are the cable guides and jack moulding. One thing to note is that the jack isn’t straight, nor at a 90 degree angle like most, but is around 45 degrees and as such seems to get in the way more than most jacks. However, it is gold plated, which is a bonus. The 1.3 meter cable is of the flat variety and is a light grey/silver colour, giving the overall package a very clean and professional look. It’s an acquired taste for sure, but a refreshing change from the usual black/white/red headphones on the market.
OK, so gimmie the specs!
For those who like to play Top Trumps when considering a new set of headphones, the S1’s have 10mm drivers and a sensitivity of 93dB at 1mW. They are rated at 16ohms and have a frequency range of 20Hz ~ 20KHz and a maximum power input of 2mW.
What are they like in use?
After finally figuring out which of the many tips is best for your ears, the Brainwavz S1’s just need a quick loop over the ear and you’re all set to go. I found myself reaching for my regular earbuds more often during my lunch break, because they require less fussing to put them in, but I found the S1’s to be very secure once fitted, making them my go-to headphone for walking. Having the flat cables over the ear really helped the S1’s stay in my ears much better than my other headphones and dramatically reduced the amount of cable noise, too. One thing to note is that the S1’s are quite long compared to, say Apple’s earbuds, so aren’t ideal for listening to music in bed, as they tend to stick out of the ear somewhat. It’s also difficult to initially figure out which headphone is left and right, because the markings are very small and moulded into the cable reliefs, rather than printed in a contrasting colour. Sound isolation is decent, but it’s still possible for people in the vicinity to hear your music slightly at loud volumes. For the user it’s much the same and the S1’s block out a good deal of outside noise, but not everything.
Great, but how do they sound?
I ran the headphones in for about 70 hours before reviewing them, giving them ample opportunity to loosen up for a fair impression.
The lows:
The Brainwavz S1’s have good bass, with impressive extension and control. The quantity of bass isn’t as high as my subwoofer-ish Sennheiser CX500’s, but the control and depth certainly makes the bass stand out and gives a much more rounded sound than the extremely bass heavy CX500’s. The midbass punch is also clearly present and very tight, resulting in a nice powerful feel to the sound, backed up by the warmth from the low end.
The mids:
For me, the S1’s mids are just about right. They are smooth and compliment the overall sound profile of the headphones nicely. They aren’t too shouty, nor particularly recessed, but just blend into the sound nicely to provide easy listening. There is no harshness or emphasised sibilance, just a mellow sound that is very pleasant to listen to, even for extended periods. I also found instrument and vocal separation to be good, leading to a very clean and precise sound.
The highs:
In keeping with the relaxed sound of the S1’s are the dulcet highs, which are pared back a little to complete this pleasing sound profile. There is no harshness, but despite the slight lack of punch I found the highs to still be very quick and detailed nonetheless. They were clear and distinguished without being piercing or uncomfortable.
Conclusion:
Overall I found the sound to be very pleasing indeed and these headphones can be listened to for hours at volume without getting the fatigue that some headphones impart on the listener. This is perhaps at the expense of some punch and sparkle, but for my tastes I really enjoy the mellow sound that the Brainwavz S1’s offer and there is still plenty of power and bite to keep things playful and interesting.
In summary…
If you’re looking to upgrade your music player earbuds with an affordable, yet good quality set of in-ear headphones then you could do a lot worse than the Brainwavz S1’s. They come with plenty of extras, including a fantastic case and generous selection of tips, are well made, and provide a really likeable sound, all for a very reasonable price. You get a metal housing and plenty of cable reliefs to help these ‘phones take the battering of daily life, plus neat features like tangle-free flat cables and a professional-looking grey/grape colour scheme.
Overall I’d highly recommend the Brainwavz S1 in-ear headphones.
The Brainwavz S1 headphones are a relatively inexpensive set of in-ear monitors, currently selling on Amazon for around $60/£37. This puts them in the very saturated market of upgrade headphones for MP3 players and smartphones, which is a tough place to be. They’re aimed at those who don’t want to spend crazy money, but want a distinct improvement on the headphones that came bundled with their music player, but do they fit the bill? I was recently fortunate enough to receive a pair of Brainwavz S1 headphones to review, courtesy of MP4Nation, so set to work finding out.
So, what’s included?
Well, your modest outlay for the Brainwavz S1’s won’t have you wondering where the money went, that’s for sure. The neatly presented box is tightly jammed with a whole host of accessories that will leave you wanting for little else. You get the S1’s themselves, a zipped hard case to keep them protected when not in use, a wealth of different tips in various styles and sizes, including a set of Comply foam tips, an airline adaptor, and a warranty card for the 12 month warranty. I’ve noticed that this warranty is being enthusiastically enforced by MP4Nation, who are actively monitoring the reviews on Amazon to assist with any issues that people might have, and arrange replacements for them if necessary.
What about the headphones themselves?
They’re an over-the-ear design, with the cable reliefs pointing upwards to facilitate wearing them this way. The housing is made from aluminium and is a metallic grey colour, with Brainwavz printed in white along the side. The cable reliefs are a grape purple colour, as are the cable guides and jack moulding. One thing to note is that the jack isn’t straight, nor at a 90 degree angle like most, but is around 45 degrees and as such seems to get in the way more than most jacks. However, it is gold plated, which is a bonus. The 1.3 meter cable is of the flat variety and is a light grey/silver colour, giving the overall package a very clean and professional look. It’s an acquired taste for sure, but a refreshing change from the usual black/white/red headphones on the market.
OK, so gimmie the specs!
For those who like to play Top Trumps when considering a new set of headphones, the S1’s have 10mm drivers and a sensitivity of 93dB at 1mW. They are rated at 16ohms and have a frequency range of 20Hz ~ 20KHz and a maximum power input of 2mW.
What are they like in use?
After finally figuring out which of the many tips is best for your ears, the Brainwavz S1’s just need a quick loop over the ear and you’re all set to go. I found myself reaching for my regular earbuds more often during my lunch break, because they require less fussing to put them in, but I found the S1’s to be very secure once fitted, making them my go-to headphone for walking. Having the flat cables over the ear really helped the S1’s stay in my ears much better than my other headphones and dramatically reduced the amount of cable noise, too. One thing to note is that the S1’s are quite long compared to, say Apple’s earbuds, so aren’t ideal for listening to music in bed, as they tend to stick out of the ear somewhat. It’s also difficult to initially figure out which headphone is left and right, because the markings are very small and moulded into the cable reliefs, rather than printed in a contrasting colour. Sound isolation is decent, but it’s still possible for people in the vicinity to hear your music slightly at loud volumes. For the user it’s much the same and the S1’s block out a good deal of outside noise, but not everything.
Great, but how do they sound?
I ran the headphones in for about 70 hours before reviewing them, giving them ample opportunity to loosen up for a fair impression.
The lows:
The Brainwavz S1’s have good bass, with impressive extension and control. The quantity of bass isn’t as high as my subwoofer-ish Sennheiser CX500’s, but the control and depth certainly makes the bass stand out and gives a much more rounded sound than the extremely bass heavy CX500’s. The midbass punch is also clearly present and very tight, resulting in a nice powerful feel to the sound, backed up by the warmth from the low end.
The mids:
For me, the S1’s mids are just about right. They are smooth and compliment the overall sound profile of the headphones nicely. They aren’t too shouty, nor particularly recessed, but just blend into the sound nicely to provide easy listening. There is no harshness or emphasised sibilance, just a mellow sound that is very pleasant to listen to, even for extended periods. I also found instrument and vocal separation to be good, leading to a very clean and precise sound.
The highs:
In keeping with the relaxed sound of the S1’s are the dulcet highs, which are pared back a little to complete this pleasing sound profile. There is no harshness, but despite the slight lack of punch I found the highs to still be very quick and detailed nonetheless. They were clear and distinguished without being piercing or uncomfortable.
Conclusion:
Overall I found the sound to be very pleasing indeed and these headphones can be listened to for hours at volume without getting the fatigue that some headphones impart on the listener. This is perhaps at the expense of some punch and sparkle, but for my tastes I really enjoy the mellow sound that the Brainwavz S1’s offer and there is still plenty of power and bite to keep things playful and interesting.
In summary…
If you’re looking to upgrade your music player earbuds with an affordable, yet good quality set of in-ear headphones then you could do a lot worse than the Brainwavz S1’s. They come with plenty of extras, including a fantastic case and generous selection of tips, are well made, and provide a really likeable sound, all for a very reasonable price. You get a metal housing and plenty of cable reliefs to help these ‘phones take the battering of daily life, plus neat features like tangle-free flat cables and a professional-looking grey/grape colour scheme.
Overall I’d highly recommend the Brainwavz S1 in-ear headphones.
