thatBeatsguy
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Got The Brainwavz S0 Today!! a.k.a. The S0 impressions thread.
- Thread starter jant71
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Just got mine in.
Editing a video of it now before putting it up next week.
First Listen:
This thing has got some nice bass when needed. A nice rumble. Faster than I would expect as opposed to somtehing like the MIU Audio IEMs which feature a more prolonged rumble.
Slightly more spread out spatialness. Vocals are a bit far away from the listner. A bit airy.
Adequate Tonal vocals, but it's missing out on the full vocal range texture/weight and general clarity. But good news, it's not harsh to listen to. Always +100
Very low power requirements. IT is almost to the point of delving into my amps channel imbalance region (analog potentiometers)
Surprisingly balanced for the price, but the S0's will be facing tough competition. The Dunu DN 23 (can be found at this price sometimes), Miu MR2, Nuforce NE700M are some other phenomenal IEMs at the price point.
Not bad, and at $50, the S0 has some of the smoothest vocals I've heard. The problem is also that, it's a bit too smooth and lacking in general character.
Editing a video of it now before putting it up next week.
First Listen:
This thing has got some nice bass when needed. A nice rumble. Faster than I would expect as opposed to somtehing like the MIU Audio IEMs which feature a more prolonged rumble.
Slightly more spread out spatialness. Vocals are a bit far away from the listner. A bit airy.
Adequate Tonal vocals, but it's missing out on the full vocal range texture/weight and general clarity. But good news, it's not harsh to listen to. Always +100
Very low power requirements. IT is almost to the point of delving into my amps channel imbalance region (analog potentiometers)
Surprisingly balanced for the price, but the S0's will be facing tough competition. The Dunu DN 23 (can be found at this price sometimes), Miu MR2, Nuforce NE700M are some other phenomenal IEMs at the price point.
Not bad, and at $50, the S0 has some of the smoothest vocals I've heard. The problem is also that, it's a bit too smooth and lacking in general character.
dragon2knight
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If someone asked me to describe the new S0's in one word: SMOOOOOTH. I have the smaller version with a tiny cable split, but otherwise the same as everyone else's. Will post full review in a day or so.
cjs001
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Nice to see a new brainwavz product. Hope to see more information posted about it soon. Looks like a nice solid built, but I guess their S series has always been fairly well made
thatBeatsguy
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Wow. So many awesome reviews from even more awesome reviewers to look out for!
Hype level is at 100% and rising!
Hype level is at 100% and rising!
H20Fidelity
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My review is up http://www.head-fi.org/products/brainwavz-s0-in-ear-headphones/reviews/11746
Pros: Clarity, Quite balanced, Clean, Clear mid-range. Value
Cons: Thick cable, not the biggest fan of its appearance.
Recently I was contacted my Brainwavz to sample one of their brand new products. This review however will be a little different from others and quite a bit shorter as we're only doing some basic design impressions and mostly what counts, the sound to give you guys out there a grasp on S0's signature. To my understanding Brainwavz S0 is a budget orientated in ear headphone that's going to be priced around $50 USD.
Firstly I'd like to once again thank Brainwavz for the S0 sample!
Brainwavz Website: http://www.yourbrainwavz.com/index.php
(Specifications to be added here soon)
Design:
The S0 takes on quite an intriguing appearance, especially for those familiar with the S5 and B2 products produced by Brainwavz, I read one member say it looks like both of those IEM had a baby and can very much agree with that statement. The housing in person is quite small, elegant and light weight which is good for fit and comfort levels. It's also designed to be worn down which is most welcome here, although Brainwavz S5 could be worn down too I was never a fan of its over the ear design. The housing this time round are also made of light weight metal, as you can see the sturdy strain reliefs keeping everything in place firmly.
Moving onto the cable we continue to see a flat design which helps eliminate any tangles when storing or unwrapping the earphone, but again similar to the more expensive S5 the cable holds some spring and can be a little cumbersome. While I can see the appeal in a flat cable design this one comes across to me as a little too thick still for my liking. However, when you talk about durability and an earphone that needs to last this all comes into play as being the right choice after all. I don't have many problems with the cable personally, there is a little bit of microphonics which I can see some people kicking up a fuss, though we must remember the price range here.
The Y-Spilt. Not quite as wide as the one seen previously on S5, this one is more streamline line which will help cut down the weight and any pendulum swinging motion the cable may want to take on. You can see while trimmed down it's still rather rugged over all. It has that strength and robust appeal to it and I really don't see this falling apart anytime soon, that's for sure.
The 3.5mm jack, made to fit virtually any MP3 player on the market. I do wonder why Brainwavz opted for a straight jack, in day and age of everyone using right angle jacks it might not be the right choice. I have however had no problems fitting the cable into most phone cases. In saying that though I do worry about thickness or bulk on the end which makes it quite a fat, stubby little piece of work. Again from a durability perspective the jack is made to last and feels quite nice in the hand, sturdy, much like the Y-Spilt. I had read a comment from someone saying maybe a change in colour to red would have fitted in well so it matched the strain reliefs on the housing. I have to agree there.
Sound:
During my time with Brainwavz S0 I stuck to three main sources.
iPod Touch 4G (AAC 256)
Sansa Clip+ (Rockbox - FLAC)
iPod Classic (Rockbox - FLAC)
Overall tonality:
For an earphone in this price range if there's one thing I'm impressed by it's how clear and high in clarity S0 sounds, while I can hear just a hint of warmth in the presentation which makes them quite smooth, the mid-range is very clear, there's no veil usually found on cheaper products this was one thing that jumped straight out at me.
While S0 doesn't quite make the neutral mark it does a fine job of staying quite clean in the mid-range but you'll often get a slight push in the upper regions (mostly mid-range related) I was very surprised. There is however just a hint of warmth there that mostly comes from the bass but overall I'm very pleased with how much clarity pushes out of this product, especially at their price point. There were times I was thinking hmm, just a dash of brightness here too but again, from the upper mid-range..
Bass:
The low end is rather balanced with the mids, I do hear a slight amount of forwardness with certain genres, take for example electronic music the bass can come out to play, but well toned down compared to it's older brother S5. Mid-bass is kept at a subtle presence while the low end focuses deeper into sub-bass regions. Texture is decent as is the low ends ability to keep bleed out of the mix. I think compared to the more expensive S5 - S0's bass is quite welcome, as you can see some people actually prefer the signature of S0 instead. I would say that's mainly because the bass does stay fairly true and balanced most of the time. It isn't however the tightest bass, though nore is it the most expensive IEM.
Mids:
Here at the heart of S0 I'm really impressed, especially at that clarity I keep mentioning, while it does come slightly from an upper mid push the detail is far above that of a $50 product, this is where you'll be won over quite quickly (I know I was). Throwing well recorded albums at S0 truly shows you what the earphone is capable of. Female vocals are probably better suited due to the slight upper-mid emphasis though it's quite well done for males vocals too.
Like I said in the tonality section there's still a hint of warmth to the earphone which makes the mids smooth, and easy to listen too. It's quite welcome over something more aggressive or grainy which in turn causes early fatigue. All in all it's quite a well tuned mid-range, Brainwavz hit a real sweet spot between clarity, smoothness, and detail. Timbre is quite natural if not just a little metallic sounding, the S5 also had this trait which can be looked at in two ways: it's unique and nice to absorb, or on the flip side can sound a little artificial compared to more organic sounding IEM like Vsonic VSD3S or Havi B3.
Treble:
Again, depending on the track treble sounds quite in line with the mids and bass, it can come a little forward with some of my treble enhanced tracks but nothing extreme, I think another safe bet here which keeps enough highs going at all times. Extension however isn't terribly impressive but the highs keep a good amount of detail and stay separated from the mid-range giving them some individuality. They seem to take on their on character or personality while playing in-line with the mid-range. While listening to S0's highs I sometimes question if the IEM should have been a little more expensive. I've had those thoughts a few times, especially with the right tracks.
Soundstage:
I'll tell you what, for an IEM in this price when using an IPod video I was quite impressed at the soundstage width of this IEM, at first I was a little shocked. The stage using the iPod Video is rather wide, much wider than I remember S5, depth on the center channel was also note worthy. I'm not sure exactly why this is because using other sources I didn't get exactly the same results, but my conclusion is the soundstage on S0 for it's asking price is extremely capable. You get a good grasp of instruments imaging on the outer sections of your ears and the focus on center channel really causes a nice amount of separation.
Seperation:
It seems S0 has been made with technical aspects in mind because again I hear a decent amount of separation and coherency in the mid-range, while the bass can tend to mix in a little with the mid-range the treble and it's detail remains well separated most of the time. I think throwing some super fast EDM tracks at S0 might test it's ability to the limits but overall for a decent paced track the instrument separation is quite capable.
Conclusion:
Remembering we're not talking about the accessories or packaging today, what we were here for is the sound and design. I can tell you that S0 can punch up quite high for it's price, with the strong technical ability and capable mid-range S0 puts up a fight towards other highly ranked IEM like VSD3S, Havi B3 PRO 1, Ostry KC06. While we're keeping in mind the price what Brainwavz have done is strike a good balanced between smoothness and clarity which for the price one couldn't ask for me. I will say I am not a personal fan of the design, I think something a little more flashy could be thought up, and the cable with it's flatness and weight may cause problems for some people
In the end though I'm very happy with the performance of this product, it meets its criteria and price bracket with a little extra push of attributes.
Id' like to once again thank Brianwavz for the sample!
Have fun with it guys, S0 sure is punching above it's weight.
Pros: Clarity, Quite balanced, Clean, Clear mid-range. Value
Cons: Thick cable, not the biggest fan of its appearance.
Recently I was contacted my Brainwavz to sample one of their brand new products. This review however will be a little different from others and quite a bit shorter as we're only doing some basic design impressions and mostly what counts, the sound to give you guys out there a grasp on S0's signature. To my understanding Brainwavz S0 is a budget orientated in ear headphone that's going to be priced around $50 USD.
Firstly I'd like to once again thank Brainwavz for the S0 sample!
Brainwavz Website: http://www.yourbrainwavz.com/index.php
(Specifications to be added here soon)
Design:
The S0 takes on quite an intriguing appearance, especially for those familiar with the S5 and B2 products produced by Brainwavz, I read one member say it looks like both of those IEM had a baby and can very much agree with that statement. The housing in person is quite small, elegant and light weight which is good for fit and comfort levels. It's also designed to be worn down which is most welcome here, although Brainwavz S5 could be worn down too I was never a fan of its over the ear design. The housing this time round are also made of light weight metal, as you can see the sturdy strain reliefs keeping everything in place firmly.
Moving onto the cable we continue to see a flat design which helps eliminate any tangles when storing or unwrapping the earphone, but again similar to the more expensive S5 the cable holds some spring and can be a little cumbersome. While I can see the appeal in a flat cable design this one comes across to me as a little too thick still for my liking. However, when you talk about durability and an earphone that needs to last this all comes into play as being the right choice after all. I don't have many problems with the cable personally, there is a little bit of microphonics which I can see some people kicking up a fuss, though we must remember the price range here.
The Y-Spilt. Not quite as wide as the one seen previously on S5, this one is more streamline line which will help cut down the weight and any pendulum swinging motion the cable may want to take on. You can see while trimmed down it's still rather rugged over all. It has that strength and robust appeal to it and I really don't see this falling apart anytime soon, that's for sure.
The 3.5mm jack, made to fit virtually any MP3 player on the market. I do wonder why Brainwavz opted for a straight jack, in day and age of everyone using right angle jacks it might not be the right choice. I have however had no problems fitting the cable into most phone cases. In saying that though I do worry about thickness or bulk on the end which makes it quite a fat, stubby little piece of work. Again from a durability perspective the jack is made to last and feels quite nice in the hand, sturdy, much like the Y-Spilt. I had read a comment from someone saying maybe a change in colour to red would have fitted in well so it matched the strain reliefs on the housing. I have to agree there.
Sound:
During my time with Brainwavz S0 I stuck to three main sources.
iPod Touch 4G (AAC 256)
Sansa Clip+ (Rockbox - FLAC)
iPod Classic (Rockbox - FLAC)
Overall tonality:
For an earphone in this price range if there's one thing I'm impressed by it's how clear and high in clarity S0 sounds, while I can hear just a hint of warmth in the presentation which makes them quite smooth, the mid-range is very clear, there's no veil usually found on cheaper products this was one thing that jumped straight out at me.
While S0 doesn't quite make the neutral mark it does a fine job of staying quite clean in the mid-range but you'll often get a slight push in the upper regions (mostly mid-range related) I was very surprised. There is however just a hint of warmth there that mostly comes from the bass but overall I'm very pleased with how much clarity pushes out of this product, especially at their price point. There were times I was thinking hmm, just a dash of brightness here too but again, from the upper mid-range..
Bass:
The low end is rather balanced with the mids, I do hear a slight amount of forwardness with certain genres, take for example electronic music the bass can come out to play, but well toned down compared to it's older brother S5. Mid-bass is kept at a subtle presence while the low end focuses deeper into sub-bass regions. Texture is decent as is the low ends ability to keep bleed out of the mix. I think compared to the more expensive S5 - S0's bass is quite welcome, as you can see some people actually prefer the signature of S0 instead. I would say that's mainly because the bass does stay fairly true and balanced most of the time. It isn't however the tightest bass, though nore is it the most expensive IEM.
Mids:
Here at the heart of S0 I'm really impressed, especially at that clarity I keep mentioning, while it does come slightly from an upper mid push the detail is far above that of a $50 product, this is where you'll be won over quite quickly (I know I was). Throwing well recorded albums at S0 truly shows you what the earphone is capable of. Female vocals are probably better suited due to the slight upper-mid emphasis though it's quite well done for males vocals too.
Like I said in the tonality section there's still a hint of warmth to the earphone which makes the mids smooth, and easy to listen too. It's quite welcome over something more aggressive or grainy which in turn causes early fatigue. All in all it's quite a well tuned mid-range, Brainwavz hit a real sweet spot between clarity, smoothness, and detail. Timbre is quite natural if not just a little metallic sounding, the S5 also had this trait which can be looked at in two ways: it's unique and nice to absorb, or on the flip side can sound a little artificial compared to more organic sounding IEM like Vsonic VSD3S or Havi B3.
Treble:
Again, depending on the track treble sounds quite in line with the mids and bass, it can come a little forward with some of my treble enhanced tracks but nothing extreme, I think another safe bet here which keeps enough highs going at all times. Extension however isn't terribly impressive but the highs keep a good amount of detail and stay separated from the mid-range giving them some individuality. They seem to take on their on character or personality while playing in-line with the mid-range. While listening to S0's highs I sometimes question if the IEM should have been a little more expensive. I've had those thoughts a few times, especially with the right tracks.
Soundstage:
I'll tell you what, for an IEM in this price when using an IPod video I was quite impressed at the soundstage width of this IEM, at first I was a little shocked. The stage using the iPod Video is rather wide, much wider than I remember S5, depth on the center channel was also note worthy. I'm not sure exactly why this is because using other sources I didn't get exactly the same results, but my conclusion is the soundstage on S0 for it's asking price is extremely capable. You get a good grasp of instruments imaging on the outer sections of your ears and the focus on center channel really causes a nice amount of separation.
Seperation:
It seems S0 has been made with technical aspects in mind because again I hear a decent amount of separation and coherency in the mid-range, while the bass can tend to mix in a little with the mid-range the treble and it's detail remains well separated most of the time. I think throwing some super fast EDM tracks at S0 might test it's ability to the limits but overall for a decent paced track the instrument separation is quite capable.
Conclusion:
Remembering we're not talking about the accessories or packaging today, what we were here for is the sound and design. I can tell you that S0 can punch up quite high for it's price, with the strong technical ability and capable mid-range S0 puts up a fight towards other highly ranked IEM like VSD3S, Havi B3 PRO 1, Ostry KC06. While we're keeping in mind the price what Brainwavz have done is strike a good balanced between smoothness and clarity which for the price one couldn't ask for me. I will say I am not a personal fan of the design, I think something a little more flashy could be thought up, and the cable with it's flatness and weight may cause problems for some people
In the end though I'm very happy with the performance of this product, it meets its criteria and price bracket with a little extra push of attributes.
Id' like to once again thank Brianwavz for the sample!
Have fun with it guys, S0 sure is punching above it's weight.
thatBeatsguy
Headphoneus Supremus
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cjs001
500+ Head-Fier
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I have to agree that their S series over ear design isn't the most appealing and from your description sounded like what I thought it would. Now if they would start expanding their B and R series...
H20Fidelity
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Thanks mate!
I think flat cable > worn down. S5's cable didn't completely agree with my ears worn up.
And a B3 would be nice to see or a hybrid design.
thatBeatsguy
Headphoneus Supremus
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I agree. I've been wanting to ask Audrey about a successor to the B2, but never did. My thoughts exactly.
cjs001
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Ah my bad!
BillsonChang007
Headphoneus Supremus
And my turn to post the review!
Congratulation to BrainWavz for developing yet another awesome IEM!
Congratulation to BrainWavz for developing yet another awesome IEM!
There has been plenty of budget IEM that offers bang for bucks sound quality and the brand new BrainWavz S0 that I have just received is fall exactly in that category. The BrainWavz S0 is now available for US49.50 at MP4Nation.net and I am still waiting for my final version to arrive before I can take some picture of it as there are some changes in the final production.
That said, I am going to speed up to a light year ahead to the sound impression, but before traveling at this extreme speed, you might want to make sure you fasten your seat belt and make yourself comfortable as the speed can be breathe taking. The S0 with its simple bullet design yet small enough to be easily fitted into ears makes it less complicated and once it’s inside, it does not let go easily unless you purposely remove it from your ears. The BrainWavz S0 comes with plenty of accessories:
- S0 earphones
- Hard carrying case
- Shirt clip
- Comply foam tips
- 6 sets of Silicone tips (S, M, L)
- 1 set of Bi-Flange Silicone tips
- 1 set of Tri-Flange Silicone tips
ZOOM! To the sound. To tell the truth, I wasn’t at all expecting it to be this impressive considering the price and the high-grade housing construction. The S0 is very well balanced with a slight boost to the mid-bass but to my pleasant surprise, it does not mud up anything. Although the bass is not bullet fast, it does have the speed of a roller coaster and it's as fun to listen to as riding on a roller coaster too! The upper bass is not as hot as oven nor is it as cold as a refrigerator, it is definitely feeling like summer.
I said speed of a roller coaster, but it does not have a V-shaped track. The S0 reminds me a lot of the TekFusion TwinWoofer. Like the TwinWoofer, the S0’s midrange are not at all behind. It does nothing wrong, but I would prefer some texture and maybe a very tiny bit boost at the upper mid’s range for a bit of sparkles as vocals can stand behind the instruments with certain tracks I tested. Positively, the midrange does not get distracted by the bass that much.
The treble of S0 is pretty tricky when it comes to concentration, but overall, it's very, very clean. So clean that a single “very” is not enough to describe it, nor was it to be expected from its price. However, there are some tracks where I find the treble to be on the slightly darker side while there are some tracks where I find it to be bright. Don’t get me wrong though, I mentioned “slightly” because the difference isn’t really huge. Just enough to be noticed to my ears. All in all, it is very exciting to listen to and thanks to the smooth sound, it does not make you feel tired of listening either. Soundstage, instrumental separation is all decently good, maybe slightly above average for the asking price but then it does absorb the details very well.
The fact that the S0 reminds me a lot of the TekFusion TwinWoofer, I decided to put them in a side by side comparison just for fun. Priced at the same and share almost the same signature, why not? BANG BANG let’s get the cold war started.
I have always love the TwinWoofer a lot for its price, but today, with the release of S0, I am slightly worried about him, but always good to hear that he finally comes across a competitor in its own price range as it shows that the audio market is improving very fast!
For basshead, the TwinWoofer definitely will be a definite answer as you can feel the bass rather than just hearing it better than the S0 whose leans more on the balanced side. Speed wise, they are both on the same level of tightness, but the TwinWoofer goes as deep as the Pacific Ocean. It’s like carrying another sub-woofer, but in a very portable size! Whereas the S0 is in the perfect amount of bass for average listeners except for the minor boost in the mid-bass region, but that is what brings the fun a bit to the sound. The TwinWoofer is VERY fun for bass, but the driver flex issue is kind of annoying to deal with at times, but thankfully, the S0 does not have this issue.
S0’s midrange is smoother in comparison, but the TwinWoofer are more energetic however. In comparison, the S0 are more refined whereas the TwinWoofer are more coloured. As for the highs, I find the S0 to be cleaner by a small margin nothing huge.
So, which is better? I don’t know, but if I were pointed by a gun to choose between one of them, I will go for… Nah, I still don’t know. If you prefer more bass, go for the TwinWoofer but if you prefer a smoother, very slightly cleaner and less rolled off highs, and more refined sound, go for the S0.
The BrainWavz S0 is now available on MP4Nation for pre-sale at just $49.50. Purely by its general performance, I think that it’s a no brainer. It is also extremely easy to drive.
[All photo courtesy of BrainWavz]
That said, I am going to speed up to a light year ahead to the sound impression, but before traveling at this extreme speed, you might want to make sure you fasten your seat belt and make yourself comfortable as the speed can be breathe taking. The S0 with its simple bullet design yet small enough to be easily fitted into ears makes it less complicated and once it’s inside, it does not let go easily unless you purposely remove it from your ears. The BrainWavz S0 comes with plenty of accessories:
- S0 earphones
- Hard carrying case
- Shirt clip
- Comply foam tips
- 6 sets of Silicone tips (S, M, L)
- 1 set of Bi-Flange Silicone tips
- 1 set of Tri-Flange Silicone tips
ZOOM! To the sound. To tell the truth, I wasn’t at all expecting it to be this impressive considering the price and the high-grade housing construction. The S0 is very well balanced with a slight boost to the mid-bass but to my pleasant surprise, it does not mud up anything. Although the bass is not bullet fast, it does have the speed of a roller coaster and it's as fun to listen to as riding on a roller coaster too! The upper bass is not as hot as oven nor is it as cold as a refrigerator, it is definitely feeling like summer.
I said speed of a roller coaster, but it does not have a V-shaped track. The S0 reminds me a lot of the TekFusion TwinWoofer. Like the TwinWoofer, the S0’s midrange are not at all behind. It does nothing wrong, but I would prefer some texture and maybe a very tiny bit boost at the upper mid’s range for a bit of sparkles as vocals can stand behind the instruments with certain tracks I tested. Positively, the midrange does not get distracted by the bass that much.
The treble of S0 is pretty tricky when it comes to concentration, but overall, it's very, very clean. So clean that a single “very” is not enough to describe it, nor was it to be expected from its price. However, there are some tracks where I find the treble to be on the slightly darker side while there are some tracks where I find it to be bright. Don’t get me wrong though, I mentioned “slightly” because the difference isn’t really huge. Just enough to be noticed to my ears. All in all, it is very exciting to listen to and thanks to the smooth sound, it does not make you feel tired of listening either. Soundstage, instrumental separation is all decently good, maybe slightly above average for the asking price but then it does absorb the details very well.
The fact that the S0 reminds me a lot of the TekFusion TwinWoofer, I decided to put them in a side by side comparison just for fun. Priced at the same and share almost the same signature, why not? BANG BANG let’s get the cold war started.
I have always love the TwinWoofer a lot for its price, but today, with the release of S0, I am slightly worried about him, but always good to hear that he finally comes across a competitor in its own price range as it shows that the audio market is improving very fast!
For basshead, the TwinWoofer definitely will be a definite answer as you can feel the bass rather than just hearing it better than the S0 whose leans more on the balanced side. Speed wise, they are both on the same level of tightness, but the TwinWoofer goes as deep as the Pacific Ocean. It’s like carrying another sub-woofer, but in a very portable size! Whereas the S0 is in the perfect amount of bass for average listeners except for the minor boost in the mid-bass region, but that is what brings the fun a bit to the sound. The TwinWoofer is VERY fun for bass, but the driver flex issue is kind of annoying to deal with at times, but thankfully, the S0 does not have this issue.
S0’s midrange is smoother in comparison, but the TwinWoofer are more energetic however. In comparison, the S0 are more refined whereas the TwinWoofer are more coloured. As for the highs, I find the S0 to be cleaner by a small margin nothing huge.
So, which is better? I don’t know, but if I were pointed by a gun to choose between one of them, I will go for… Nah, I still don’t know. If you prefer more bass, go for the TwinWoofer but if you prefer a smoother, very slightly cleaner and less rolled off highs, and more refined sound, go for the S0.
The BrainWavz S0 is now available on MP4Nation for pre-sale at just $49.50. Purely by its general performance, I think that it’s a no brainer. It is also extremely easy to drive.
[All photo courtesy of BrainWavz]
thatBeatsguy
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- May 24, 2013
- Posts
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And my turn to post the review!
Congratulation to BrainWavz for developing yet another awesome IEM!
There has been plenty of budget IEM that offers bang for bucks sound quality and the brand new BrainWavz S0 that I have just received is fall exactly in that category. The BrainWavz S0 is now available for US49.50 at MP4Nation.net and I am still waiting for my final version to arrive before I can take some picture of it as there are some changes in the final production.
That said, I am going to speed up to a light year ahead to the sound impression, but before traveling at this extreme speed, you might want to make sure you fasten your seat belt and make yourself comfortable as the speed can be breathe taking. The S0 with its simple bullet design yet small enough to be easily fitted into ears makes it less complicated and once it’s inside, it does not let go easily unless you purposely remove it from your ears. The BrainWavz S0 comes with plenty of accessories:
- S0 earphones
- Hard carrying case
- Shirt clip
- Comply foam tips
- 6 sets of Silicone tips (S, M, L)
- 1 set of Bi-Flange Silicone tips
- 1 set of Tri-Flange Silicone tips
ZOOM! To the sound. To tell the truth, I wasn’t at all expecting it to be this impressive considering the price and the high-grade housing construction. The S0 is very well balanced with a slight boost to the mid-bass but to my pleasant surprise, it does not mud up anything. Although the bass is not bullet fast, it does have the speed of a roller coaster and it's as fun to listen to as riding on a roller coaster too! The upper bass is not as hot as oven nor is it as cold as a refrigerator, it is definitely feeling like summer.
I said speed of a roller coaster, but it does not have a V-shaped track. The S0 reminds me a lot of the TekFusion TwinWoofer. Like the TwinWoofer, the S0’s midrange are not at all behind. It does nothing wrong, but I would prefer some texture and maybe a very tiny bit boost at the upper mid’s range for a bit of sparkles as vocals can stand behind the instruments with certain tracks I tested. Positively, the midrange does not get distracted by the bass that much.
The treble of S0 is pretty tricky when it comes to concentration, but overall, it's very, very clean. So clean that a single “very” is not enough to describe it, nor was it to be expected from its price. However, there are some tracks where I find the treble to be on the slightly darker side while there are some tracks where I find it to be bright. Don’t get me wrong though, I mentioned “slightly” because the difference isn’t really huge. Just enough to be noticed to my ears. All in all, it is very exciting to listen to and thanks to the smooth sound, it does not make you feel tired of listening either. Soundstage, instrumental separation is all decently good, maybe slightly above average for the asking price but then it does absorb the details very well.
The fact that the S0 reminds me a lot of the TekFusion TwinWoofer, I decided to put them in a side by side comparison just for fun. Priced at the same and share almost the same signature, why not? BANG BANG let’s get the cold war started.
I have always love the TwinWoofer a lot for its price, but today, with the release of S0, I am slightly worried about him, but always good to hear that he finally comes across a competitor in its own price range as it shows that the audio market is improving very fast!
For basshead, the TwinWoofer definitely will be a definite answer as you can feel the bass rather than just hearing it better than the S0 whose leans more on the balanced side. Speed wise, they are both on the same level of tightness, but the TwinWoofer goes as deep as the Pacific Ocean. It’s like carrying another sub-woofer, but in a very portable size! Whereas the S0 is in the perfect amount of bass for average listeners except for the minor boost in the mid-bass region, but that is what brings the fun a bit to the sound. The TwinWoofer is VERY fun for bass, but the driver flex issue is kind of annoying to deal with at times, but thankfully, the S0 does not have this issue.
S0’s midrange is smoother in comparison, but the TwinWoofer are more energetic however. In comparison, the S0 are more refined whereas the TwinWoofer are more coloured. As for the highs, I find the S0 to be cleaner by a small margin nothing huge.
So, which is better? I don’t know, but if I were pointed by a gun to choose between one of them, I will go for… Nah, I still don’t know. If you prefer more bass, go for the TwinWoofer but if you prefer a smoother, very slightly cleaner and less rolled off highs, and more refined sound, go for the S0.
The BrainWavz S0 is now available on MP4Nation for pre-sale at just $49.50. Purely by its general performance, I think that it’s a no brainer. It is also extremely easy to drive.
[All photo courtesy of BrainWavz]
Wow! So many awesome reviews coming in! Makes me want to jump on the train, too...
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