BRAINWAVZ R1 : The Review
This is my first review of any audio gear, so i don't know how to describe the audio signature that well. Please feel free to point out my mistakes.
In the past i have used SoundMagic PL-11, Creative EP-630 and Brainwavz M1, but i only own PL-11 which is lying unused for a long time since i am not very much into portable music and later sold it to the fellow member. But eventually my quest for an another iem began as i am also looking to upgrade to my Pl-11 till i saw this amazing deal going on MP4Nation where they recently introduced their new dual dynamic driver earphones on a special pre-order price of $34 with free FedEx shipping and after applying discount coupon i got it for a mere $30 which is a steal. Now they are selling at their regular price of $45 including shipping charges. I know it fits in for my iem requirement perfectly so ordered it on 26-Oct and got it delivered in 3 days to my doorstep and i have to say that these guys know their business very well as this is my first experience with them. Unfortunately they are not available with Pristine Note at that time but i hope they stock this beauty soon.
I mainly listen to EDM music followed by an occasional Hip-Hop, R&B and sometimes Rock. Basically i am a Trance lover.
Specification:
Transducers/Drivers: Dynamic, 6.8mm & 9mm
Rated Impedance: 16ohms Closed Dynamic
Sensitivity: 95dB at 1mW
Frequency range: 20Hz ~ 22Khz
Distortion: <= 0.3%@ 94dB
Channel balance: =< 3dB *at 1000Hz)
Rated input power: 2mW
Plug: 3.5mm gold plated,L Shape
Cable Length: 1.2 meters Y cord
Packaging and Accessories :
Now the packaging is simply exceptional and the folks at brainwavz are very good in terms of presentation of the product.This is i think the best part of the whole iem,it was borrowed form their bigger and costlier brother B2 which retails for $150 almost 4 times it's price.
R1 is blessed with lots of goodies which includes
· 1 x Comply foam tips
· 6 x Pairs of ear tips (S/M/L)
· 1 X Bi-Flange tips - me like these
· 1 x 6.3mm adapter
· 1 x Airplane adapter
· 1 x Hard carrying case
· 1 x Instruction manual & Warranty card
The best part is the new hard carry case which cost $6 alone and makes the whole package an upmarket feel.The Comply tips are good value.I am impressed by the overall packaging and the given accessories.They simply score 5 stars for packaging.
Build Quality & Fit:
I am felt somewhat disappointed...Since M1 are having much better build (coaxial cable, better housing).
Compared with R1, with all plastic shiny housing and the most disappointing is the quality of cable (despite its good built).
Despite the unusual design, surprisingly R1 is quite comfortable to wear. I usually wear iem straight down,but these are bulid to be worn over the ear which again adds 2 cents to the overall fit.
One of M1 weakness is the amount of cable microphonics (sometimes quite disturbing) I can’t find this problem in R1, despite the lesser build quality, this is a major improvement for brainwavz.
Isolation is pretty good with comply T series and so so with the default Bi-flanges. I could not use silicon tips for the longer listening sessions though.So comply is the best bet.These somewhat helps to increase the overall presentation but still behind the Bi-flanges by a margin.
Sound Quality :
Time to talk about the main part of the review
Im not into the tech of all this stuff, but for those in the know these are based on DUAL DYNAMIC DRIVERS and comprise of a woofer and a tweeter,all this good stuff has appeared in such a bargain package of the R1 - so, seems its a good deal and sees Brainwavz once again bringing the high end stuff to affordable levels.Well Sound quality opinion is a very personal.The R1 has a slightly V-Shaped sound signature which can also be known as a bit away from being a neutral or a natural sounding pair of iem.
Bass
They boast a full bodied bass,a fast and accurate bass while having more in amount than M1. It covers the lowest of lows without being overpowering and interference with the mids. It has enough quantity of bass for a fast paced trance music but it does not have that perfect attack which you can expect from a high end iem. Still we can not complain because this cost $45 only.
Mids
I have to say a V-shaped iem like R1 does not sound as sweet as M1 or you can say it is a Mid shy iem. It just takes the back seat in comparison to bass and treble in a track.Yet it is a very fun sounding iem which you can get at this price range.
It is like that the singer is sitting few rows back than the other instrument players. Though it carry a good detail or we can say that it does not miss anything in the track.
Treble
Highs are absolutely a plus point for these iems ,it has a sparkle and energy that the M1 does not have at the same time they are able to provide the highest of highs without being sibilance at all.Treble is very smooth and is not harsh at all. My AD300 feels a little bit ashamed with the smoothness this carries actually.Overall the treble is very crisp and detailed.
Soundstage is the most notable feature that I realize when I first hear R1. I am amaze with the depth and size of soundstage it’s provide,almost on par with my full size AD300 cans.Sound seperation is good but not great almost equal to M1 i would say.
For sound quality i would it a 4 star.
Conclusion :
If these were a bit more mid forward i would call it a perfect iem under $50, but either way they carry a great value for what they offer at their current price.
PROS
· Very good lows and awesome highs
· Wide Soundstage
· Full of accessories
· Bang for Buck
· Over the ear style
Cons
· Weaker Mids
· Average build quality
· Weird but unique design
Overall they deserve a solid 4.5 star for being a detailed yet fun sounding pair of iem at the same time :bigok:
