[lecky]

What I really like about the cable is that when you get it over your ear it holds its position really well. Microphonics are not too bad for me. Not bad at all. The cable needs rolling up for storage because it is prone to tangle, perhaps more than typical.

 

[Faheem]

Yet another amazing review by the IEM guru ClieOS .So perfect and to the point .
 
I was fortunate enough to receive a pair M2s, from Mp4 Nation for reviewing it on the Indian forums and I am already impressed by it's sound .  Here are my First Impressions .
 

A hands-on preview on the M2s.


 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 

 
 

  The IEMs are built of  metal housing (no plastic used).A portion of the housing has a very thin rubberized coating in black.The overall build of the IEMs is lot more sturdier than their Brainwavz Pro as well as other IEMs in their segment.The design is a generic IEM design and can be worn over the ear as well as straight down.I prefer wearing it over the ear for a better fit especially while traveling.

 The cable is fairly thicker than most cables and also has a braided sort of effect which I can't really explain by words but you can check it out in the snaps below .The cable feels a bit stiff but is really strong,infact I feel it's the best cable Ive seen in a 50-60$ IEM. It does retain its shape most of the time .eg : The cable  remains curled up / rounded for sometime after removing it from the round hard case.

The most important part ,Sound

I had been told that the M2s don't really need a long burn-in and it turned out to be true. Out of the box these earphones produce a very pleasing sound .

The bass is heavy but in a good way .Bass quantity is greater than PL-50s ,RE-0,RE-1 or infact almost every other IEM Ive tried till date. It doesn't totally classify as a bassheads bass because it's not completely boomy or the kind of bass that will shake your brains out . It has a decent texture which adds a nice feel to the bass,in short with quantity there's some quality as well.Though to be frank during heavy passages it does get boomy and out of control at times. There's slight lack of authority in the bass  but to expect a very accurate, textured bass from these would be totally unfair.Its the 200$ RE-252 which get's near to perfect bass not a 50-60$ IEM.
Overall the Bass on the M2s are the best you can get for the money and one of the reasons to recommend a M2 to someone.

The midrange compliments the bass pretty well .Good detailing , warm sounding and well spaced instruments .It isn't smooth and upfront like the midrange in PL-50s but more fun and musical.

The soundstage is one segment where the M2s could've improved upon .Not that its bad but not the best either.It's got good depth but isn't as wide as that on the Head-Direct RE-1 or PL-50s. The soundstage is as good as my RE-0 though so I shouldn't really be complaining.Fairly wide and deep

Treble does get slightly overshadowed by the beautiful bass and mid range but the M2s don't sound recessed or treble lacking .Not too sibilant and not too laidback as well. While the Bass and midrange is more upfront , the treble is placed around the bass and midrange. It actually makes the overall sound signature lot more fun and musical instead of analytical or neutral. Overall a smooth and moderately detailed treble. In comparison , not as good as the RE-0 which have the most detailed and clear treble but the treble on M2s is very well comparable to that of PL-50 by SoundMagic.Maybe slightly better  (will have to do a A/B comparison for that )

Overall with the M2 you get an IEM with amazing but slightly heavy bass , good midrange and decent  soundstage &  treble extension .Needless to say the magic lies in the lower band of frequencies.

So do I recommend it ?
 hmmm ..For the retail price of 65-70$ , I would recommend it to an extent but also advice on spending another 15-20$ and get something from an upper tier. At the pre-order price of just 49$ , I would say they are a steal .Highly recommend them If you are one of those who've been waiting to get rid of your PL-30s, EP-630s etc and upgrade to a mid segment IEMs  or incase you've always felt that the PL-30s lacked bass  go ahead  and buy the M2s before the pre-order ends.
 
Hope you guys find it helpful.

 

[timmyGCSE]

nice review ^^ and great pictures
I've been so stacked recently and I really want to sit down and give a proper review on these, I've been really enjoying them.
To me they are quite similar to PX100's..I only heard PX100's for about 15 mins but they remind me of the same smooth wonderfully musical signature, something you can just put in/on your ears, sit back relax and enjoy the flow

 

[kingpage]

You said the soundstage is better on the M2 compared to RE0, but you put Small / Acceptable in the Multiple IEM thread for the M2 but Good / Average for the RE0, any reason for that?

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

You said the soundstage is better on the M2 compared to RE0, but you put Small / Acceptable in the Multiple IEM thread for the M2 but Good / Average for the RE0, any reason for that?

Sorry, I cant quite remember where/when I said about M2 soundstage being better than RE0. If I did, that's a mistaken on my part. As far as my regular testing rig / music is concerned, RE0 has better soundstage than M2.

 

[kingpage]

Sorry, my mistake then. How does this M2 compare to Meelec M2? I just received Meelec M2, according to you it has a higher score than pl-30, is it true? Anyway, the bass sound a bit weird out of the box, hopefully it will settle after break in. And the soundstage is considerably smaller, ie everything is more intimate.
 
Is Brainwavz M2's soundstage even smaller than Meelec M2's?
 
Also, the IEMs I have (at least PL-30 and Meelec M2P) don't seem to be able to reproduce any frequency above 10 and 11kHz, it makes me nervous that I always thought my ears were deteriorating or something.. Is this the same with other phones? Hope someone can clear this up for me.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

Sorry, my mistake then. How does this M2 compare to Meelec M2? I just received Meelec M2, according to you it has a higher score than pl-30, is it true? Anyway, the bass sound a bit weird out of the box, hopefully it will settle after break in. And the soundstage is considerably smaller, ie everything is more intimate.
 
Is Brainwavz M2's soundstage even smaller than Meelec M2's?
 
Also, the IEMs I have (at least PL-30 and Meelec M2P) don't seem to be able to reproduce any frequency above 10 and 11kHz, it makes me nervous that I always thought my ears were deteriorating or something.. Is this the same with other phones? Hope someone can clear this up for me.

MEElec M2 has a slightly more pan out soundstage compared to that of Brainwavz M2, but the overall sound is still far inferior. Yes, I did rank MEElec M2 just a little ahead of PL30. PL30 has a fairly wide soundstage though.
 
I am not sure about the issue with 10+kHz, as mine are fine at those frequency.

 

[Judge Buff]

Like timmyGCSE, I've been wanting to give the review sample of the M2 I received from mp4nation a proper write-up, but my life is whirlwind busy at the moment. I have had daily opportunities to truly enjoy the M2s in the whirlwind and I will briefly comment about the awesome "on-the-go" experiences I've had.
 
These are very robust phones! They are extremely well-made and sturdy. I haven't used the case on-purpose, as I wanted to put the IEMs through some rigorously normal usage. For example, I have carried them rolled up in my pockets everyday, or wrapped around a portable amp. While I don't recommend this type of behavior, these phones show no effects from me treating them this way. This cabling on the M2s may be the strongest I have seen, without being grossly microphonic such as the fabric-wrapped cables of the old deluxe Zune earphones were. I haven't been gentle with them in the least...
 
As such, they are physically very good phones for mobile listening. I always wear them around my side and up my back, from either my belt case iPhone or my pocket carried Zune. The cable is just long enough to accomplish this without pulling and I have little to no probs with microphonics. I can always clip it to my shirt, but I don't like that for some reason (Never have...). They seal well in this orientation and I really like most musical genres with these IEMs when I'm in noisy environs or on-the-move. These musical preferences don't include classical or acoustic music, though, but I don't generally listen to these types of tunes while I'm running around town.
 
These are phones for "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and "Roll With the Changes." Anything by Android Lust has sounded awesome with these. These are the kind of phones that make you want to play air-guitar (Yeah at least one 55 year old Magistrate still plays air-guitar.) when you listen to Boston, REO Speedwagon or Van Halen. Or air-drums... Yeah, I do that too. I embarrass my kids as often as possible.
 
If they remain at $50, they are a great value!

 

[dweaver]

Well after a good lengthy burn in (100hrs or so) I feel I am ready to write my full review of the Brainwavz M2. I would like to thank MP4Nation for sending me a pair of the M2 to review. To make it clear, I received this IEM for free, in exchange for a review by me. I was clear with MP4Nation that I would be completely honest in my review, good or bad. To which they responded they would want it no other way.
 
I will not be posting a lot of pictures in this particular review since there has been a lot of quality pictures already posted. Instead I will simply focus on the build quality of the M2, its tip selection, and the included accessories, the micro phonics, and an in depth review of the IEM’s music and sonic capabilities.
 
Build wise I am very impressed with the M2. The aluminum housing is light and yet sturdy. The lip just past the tip nozzle makes proper insertion of this IEM very easy to achieve. This lip also makes this a bit of a shallow insertion IEM a design I prefer. The port hole on the IEM can cause wind noise if you happen to walk outside in an environment with lots of wind but this issue is not excessive. The cable is very sturdy and appears to be braided under its covering, I would say it’s one of the nicest cables I have seen in an IEM in this price point. My only complaint about the build of this IEM is the stem coming from the IEM housing, I find it sticks out at a bit of a weird angle whether wearing straight down or over ear. The stem issue makes this IEM less comfortable if you have anything being worn near the ear or if laying down in bed as the stem can be nudged, but this issue is only minor in my opinion.
 
The included tip selection with the M2 is nice. I do like the hybrid tips and feel they will work for most people. The added foam tip will work for those who like that tip style. My only issue with the tips stems more from what I have grown accustomed to with my other IEM’s. I have grown to prefer a more open nozzle tip as they seem to allow more treble, tame the bass down a bit, and open the sound stage as well as make the IEM slightly less congested. If anyone buys this IEM and has any of the issues I just mentioned, I suggest trying a wide nozzle tip before giving up on this IEM.
The included accessories with this IEM are also very good. I love the included semi-hard case, the shirt clip (excellent for cable management and reducing micro phonics) plus the included ear hooks (these hooks are soft and very comfortable and also reduce micro phonics putting Sennheiser’s offering to shame).
 
Speaking of micro phonics, the only time this really comes in to play is if you wear the IEM down versus over the ear. This includes the thumping micro phonics other IEM’s have from a person’s foot steps.
 
So OK enough about the cover of the book... WHATS THE STORY LIKE!
 
I alluded to this IEM possibly being a nice budget conscious alternative to the Sennheiser IE8. After extensive listening and burn in, I would like to reiterate this position.  If you’re looking for an IEM that is sonically similar to the IE8 and are on a tight sub $100 budget, then this IEM should be on your short list especially at the current $50 pre-order price. Does this mean it’s as good as the IE8? No, not really. I would say it does not quite have the same bass texture or treble detail and extension, or quite the same sound stage. But I do feel these areas while not as good as the IE8 are not too far behind the IE8 and at an eighth of the cost offer an excellent value. I also actually think the midrange of the M2 is more forward than the IE8 which in that one regard makes them better in my opinion.
 
Bass – I feel the bass of the M2 is nice and deep with plenty of impact. I did find the bass settled down a lot after the pink and white noise burn in, losing some of its impact. In my mind this change is positive as the bass no longer over whelms the music. I think the bass of this IEM is not the most accurate I have heard but do find it incredibly enjoyable. I also would say this IEM has a definite mid-bass hump making it a warm sounding IEM.
 
Midrange – I feel the midrange of the M2 is one (if not the) strongest aspect of the M2's sound. I love its forward, warm, and smooth nature. It adds a very nice touch to male vocals and guitars. The midrange simply places me in the music.
 
Treble – This is the one area the M2 is weak on. But I will say this is a matter of preference as well. I personally have been using a pair of Monster Turbine Pro Copper IEM’s as my main IEM for the past month, and they are what I would call a very neutral / bright IEM. So I do notice the lack of the treble sparkle and detail. Having said that I also own a pair of AT CKS70 and have owned several other sub-$100 IEM’s and have to say the M2’s treble is better than the CKS70, NE-7M, and every Brick and Mortar IEM I have tried that was under $100. So while it does not compare to a $500 IEM it’s not terrible by any stretch of the imagination.
 
Sound stage – The M2 is very strong in this area, while it is no IE8 beater, it holds its own very well. I find the sound stage to be quite wide and deep and I like that it fits the rest of the sound signature nicely in that no area of the sound signature feels out of proportion.
 
While I have my considerably more expensive MTPC’s that I use more often, I find I like wearing the M2 as it gives me a more laid back listening experience where I stop focusing on the detail and just get swept up in the music. I also like the fact I never feel fatigued after listening to this IEM.
 
Some of the genre’s I have been listening to are:
 
Classic Mid-late 70’s early 80’s rock (Eagles, Super Tramp, Meatloaf, Led Zeppelin, ACDC, Kansas) – The softer sounding groups like the Eagles benefit from the bass and warm sound signature, the grittier bands like ACDC and Led Zeppelin benefit from the more forward midrange for the guitars, Meatloaf and Super Tramp that feature quite a bit piano are a bit of a mixed bag as the lack of detail for piano is a bit more noticeable, Kansas features a fairly bright sound with a lot more synthesized music so I found this music to be not as detailed as I like due to the lack of treble. All vocals sounded awesome with this genre.
 
Celtic Music - (Loreena McKennit, Enya, various male artists). I found the warm nature of the M2 to fit with this genre fairly well making it sound OK but not quite as nice as more sparly IEM’s. The sound stage of the M2 also worked very well with this genre. Overall though, I prefer my MTPC ultimately for this genre. I suspect the RE0 may fit this genre better in the sub $100 range though unless you really like warmth over detail.
 
Jazz – (new to this genre so only have Patricia Barber to base my experience on). I found Patricia Barber’s  “Modern Cool” to be a bit to bassy at times with the M2 but really enjoyed “The Cole Porter Mix”, from what I can tell the first album is a bit more “modern” or mainstream as compared to the second album which is more classical jazz. If you listen to jazz for detail I think you would want to move on from the M2, if you listen to be swept away the M2 may be just the ticket for you.
 
Classical – (Stringed Instrument and Choral) This is an area I am not conversant enough in to be able to point to specific pieces, musicians, or composers to be able to offer a lot of detailed information on. BUT I do like this both of these types of music. The M2 gives a decent portrayal of this music but does lose enough detail that I prefer my MTPC for these genres. But like Jazz I do find it easy to get swept away in the music.
 
Classical Full Orchestra – This music can get congested and again loses more detail than I like. But again is easy to just be swept up in the music.
 
If you have higher end IEM's that are neutral in nature and want a fun warm bassy IEM and are not concerned with some detail loss the M2 will fit the bill well for you. If your new to the IEM market and want a warm sounding IEM with good bass and midrange along with a fairly decent treble, the M2 should be on your shortlist as it offers alot of quality for the price.

 

[dusiosmarvos]

Very nice review! The opinions on the sound stage seem quite mixed on these forums however. Most I have read say the M2's have a relatively narrow soundstage, but you think these have fairly wide soundstage?

 

[dweaver]

I would say the sound stage is not bad, it's not IE8 big but I don't find it to be really narrow. Now having said that my main go to IEM is the MTPC which are noted as having a nice sound stage but not a really large one so I may have grown more accustomed to a smaller sound stage. I do know the CKS70 has a larger sound stage as I still have that IEM and compared them in that regard. I know the IE8 is larger but I can't say how much larger as I no longer own that IEM so can not do a direct A/B comparison. I do feel though, the M2 is a good alternative for those on a tight budget who want an IE8 type. It's cetainly better than buying an IE8 fake for several times the price anyway. Also though I think sound stage is a hard thing to nail down as it may mean slightly different things to people and it is one of the harder things to really grasp.
 
One last thing, since this IEM does have a more forward midrange I do think this makes vocals and some guitar more center oriented which may affect others opinions of the sound stage. But if you listen to the bass and the treble they can be quite spread apart.

 

[dusiosmarvos]

Thanks for the clarification. I have these headphones on preorder, hope they ship tuesday!

 

[beastian]

Nice review. I had ordered them and i hope they arrive soon.

 

[FSNDET]

Quote:

Nice review. I had ordered them and i hope they arrive soon.

Mp4Nation should receive both the M2's and M1's tomorrow and they will ship out on Monday May 31st according to a post on the MP4Nation forums by Raz.. I have the M2's on pre-order also and I'm impatiently waiting for them to ship..

 

[dusiosmarvos]

Or at least that's what he says. I am going away in two weeks so these BETTER ship monday.