Budget audiophile brand Brainwavz Audio is back at it, closing out 2016 and kicking off 2017 with a bevy of new earphone offerings. Their timing was just right. Shortly before leaving for an eight-day cruise around the Caribbean, Brainwavz hit me up looking for my thoughts on the recently released M100 high fidelity audio earphone.

Claiming to be crafted from aircraft grade metal, and boasting hand-crafted 8mm dynamic drivers tuned to present a “wide soundstage, well defined bass and clarity,” the M100 seemed like the perfect lightweight and durable travel companion. In the carry-on it went. Thanks Brainwavz.

A four-and-a-half hour flight is never fun, but it did give me plenty of time to start putting the M100 through its paces.

Unboxing & Accessories

The M100 comes in a pretty minimalistic black and white carton containing a plastic inner tray that keeps packaging modest, although not as minimal as it could be. It's simple and functional and it’s what I’ve come to expect from Brainwavz. Inside, you’ll find everything neatly packed and organized—basically the opposite of my camera pack.

For the $89.50 you’ll part with to add the M100 to your portable audio arsenal, you get an array of accessories—something Brainwavz thankfully never skimps on. The M100 includes their branded zippered hard case, Velcro cable tie and shirt clip, a set of premium Comply foam ear tips, a set of bi-flange silicone ear tips, and two sets each of standard S, M, and L silicone ear tips (Because you know you're going to lose one, or maybe three. Don’t judge me). No complaints here.

What I can complain about is the cable. More specifically, the three-button in-line mic/remote that didn’t fully function with my Motorola Android smartphone. Brainwavz says the remote is compatible with Apple devices and “most Android phones,” so I guess I fall outside of “most.” This isn’t the first time my Droid hasn’t played nice with in-line mics or remotes, and it’s not necessarily a deal breaker, but it’s still a disappointment. Your results may vary. This caveat aside, the cable is a simple twisted braid of OFC copper terminated with a gold-plated 3.5mm plug that’s extremely lightweight, falls nicely and has minimal microphonics, which is most welcomed when, say, you’re hiking through a humid rainforest to see a dormant volcano (Deploying the shirt clip is highly recommended).

Performance

About that hike; the M100 is a simple cylindrical earphone that's intended to sit comfortably with the tip and nozzle in your ear canal while the majority of the housing protrudes out from it. As you can guess, this doesn’t bode well for the active audiophile. In fact, the M100 popped out of my ears several times regardless of whether I routed the cable up and around my ear or wore it straight down. Swapping out the silicone ear tips for the Comply foam tips did help, but I’d recommend an in-ear monitor to real active audiophiles—like the Brainwavz XF-200 (review) if you want something super affordable to bang around in or my preferred Shure SE215 (review).

While we’re on the topic of ear tips, let’s get my regular disclaimer to beginner audiophiles out of the way. With the large assortment of ear tips offered with the M100, it’s important to test each set. Tip selection is critical with earphones and IEMs, and I strongly encourage you to take the time to choose the ear tip that fits each ear best—emphasis on best and not just one that “fits”—because the audio quality, comfort and isolation improve greatly with the ideal tip. For me, the Comply foam tips worked best. When you’re trying to block out the drone of a jet plane, for example, the Comply tips offer far greater noise isolation and improved comfort for long listening sessions, plus some much needed bass control.

About that bass, the M100 is simply a mid-bass monster. As in, it’s about all you really hear. Sure, the M100 has some sub-bass and mids and a hint of treble, but the clear emphasis is on a rising mid-bass hump that dominates the rest of the M100’s dynamic range. Having reviewed Brainwavz’s more affordable and balanced M1 (review) and S0 (review) earphones, I honestly found the M100’s tuning to be disappointing from a versatility standpoint. Despite the marketing claims that the M100 is “suitable for most genres of music,” I feel that the thick mid-bass bleeds too far into the somewhat muddied and polite descending mid-range and treble frequencies to be suitable for any type of critical listening of high fidelity audio. Rather, this tuning is more suited for less complex rap, dancehall, deep house and electronic/EDM where unruly and even boomy bass is often welcomed and seemingly “fun.” I like fun. I also like to hear all of what was recorded in the studio.

What’s most interesting about the M100’s tuning is how the mid-range and treble responses fall off, rather sharply, in fact. To visualize it, the M100 isn’t U- or V-shaped—it’s slanted. As soon as you get out of the mid-bass range, the upper frequencies slowly get sucked out until right near the start of the treble region and then the bottom falls out. It’s no secret that I generally favor a slightly darker, warmer and fuller sounding earphone or headphone over something analytical, but the M100 sacrifices too much mid-range and treble presence and detail for my taste. If you’re super sensitive to sibilance or high frequencies, though, the M100’s darkness may sound just right to you, just know that the utter lack of upper frequency response also inhibits the M100’s ability to inject any air or sense of space and dimensionality into the soundstage. The sound is right in your ear, right in your head—those favorable phantom images we hunt for in our quest to reach Audio Nirvana be damned. I’m still looking for that “wide soundstage, well defined bass and clarity” Brainwavz promised.

Regardless of whether I pushed the M100 with my smartphone or Hidizs AP100 DAP on the go, or my ALO Audio The Island DAC/amp or JDS Labs OL DAC and 02 amp back home, my impressions remained the same. Strong vocalists came off as a touch flat and recessed; bass notes were untamed and often flubby during complex tracks; snare drums didn’t really bite or crack; cymbals lacked shimmer; guitars struggled to separate themselves from bloated bass lines; brass instruments sounded veiled. Of course, this is in “stock” listening form. You can EQ the hell out of the M100 to make it sound quite different. But who wants to do that, especially when you would have to try to match your preferred EQing across each device you listen on providing that’s even an option. No thanks.

Now I realize these listening impressions may seem a bit harsh, but, to me, the M100 sounds like something meant to compete with Beats or Bose earphones at a lower price point. The M100’s sound is what I’ll call safe; it’s bassy and overly warm, the muted mids pull back vocalists that should be front and center, and the sharply rolled off treble effortlessly hides the grain and harshness of poor recordings and compressed streaming audio. It’s basically what most mass consumer brands aim to achieve. But audiophiles are a different breed and have much different expectations for what sounds musical.

Bottom Line

After nine days of traveling throughout the Caribbean where the M100 got its fair share of salt, sun, sweat and more, it still looks new. The build quality and material choices are simply solid. In those regards, Brainwavz has put out another quality product. For $89.50 you basically get a stealthy, well-built, durable earphone with a plethora of accessories, a two-year warranty, and—unfortunately, in my opinion—a bassy, unbalanced sound signature that’s best suited for bumping Sia and Sean Paul remixes (If that’s your guilty pleasure, you’re in luck). Where the M100 really falls short is when it comes to true “high fidelity audio.” You want bass? More specifically mid-bass? You got it. You want balance and detail and clarity that seamlessly spans multiple genres, you’ll be better served by some of Brainwavz’s other offerings or elsewhere.

A few days after testing out the adventure-inspired Westone ADV Beta earphone, Brainwavz hit me up with the timely opportunity to give their latest earphone a test ride. Meet the new Brainwavz XFit XF-200 earphone that, as they say, is specially designed for users who engage in sports and athletic activities. What makes it special for the active audiophile? How about a compact, lightweight design; pre-molded, over-the-ear cable routing; a short cable that won't trip you up; and an assortment of accessories to keep you moving. Oh, and at $25 it probably costs less than your monthly gym dues.

Brainwavz was seeking new coverage of their M1 in-ear monitor. I was seeking an IEM in a pinch before leaving for an 8-day trip. I didn’t like the Brainwavz S0 too much, my HiFiMan Re-Zero IEMs hurt my ears, I’m now a spoiled audio snob that won’t use generic OEM earbuds, and full-size cans just weren’t an option for traveling with camera gear. The timing was perfect; Audrey at Brainwavz hooked me up with a pair of M1s for my journeys, and off I went.

But before you think that I am just going to praise these because Brainwavz provided them, think again. I tell it how my ears hear it, and as some of you may know, I’m not generally a fan of earphones, earbuds, IEMs, whatever you want to call them. So let’s dive into what these affordable hi-fi IEMs are all about.

Unboxing

When I opened the shipping parcel, I was happy to find the M1 in high-grade packaging with excellent branding despite these being a roughly $40 earphone. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been handling a lot of products from other leading Asian manufacturers like Cayin, Dunu, Fidue, Hidizs and T-PEOS for my work with Canada’s CTC Audio, so it was good to see the Brainwavz packaging is on par, if not better than, its competitors. In your hands, you’d think you’re getting a product that retails for more than $40—everything is neatly and securely packed and placed in its inner holders with care.

Accessories

Another thing I have come to expect with IEMs competing in this price range is a variety of accessories to customize use and fit. The M1 follows suit by providing a Brainwavz-branded hard zippered carry case and shirt clip, and a variety of ear tips that include one set of premium Comply S-400 foam tips, one set of black silicone bi-flange tips, and six, yes six, pairs of standard black silicone tips (S, M, L).

The hard case is the same one that comes with the S0 I previously reviewed and has two pockets that will secure all of these things in place while you’re on the go. As usual, finding the tip that is right for your ear is key, so please experiment. I ended up using the Comply foam tip with the M1, which, to my ears, offered the best comfort, noise isolation and sound quality.

Build

You’ll hardly notice the M1 housings in your hand, not because they’re small, but because they’re so light. The M1 has an ultra-light composite housing and slim tangle-free 1.3m cable. The design itself is modern and attractive, while maintaining a minimalist appearance. Despite the light weight and general lack of what I would consider “robustness”, the M1 feels solid enough and has held up well to being thrown in my luggage, pushed and pulled out of my camera bags, wrapped around my Hidizs AP100 DAP, and probably rolled over more than a few times when I fell asleep with them in during my recent travels.

As for cable microphonics, they’re minimal—practically nonexistent. The difference between the S0 and M1, for instance, is night and day with the M1 putting the S0’s bulky flat cable to shame. My only complaints I have with the M1 cable is the lack of strain relief may prove detrimental over time and the length of the Y split. The length of the left and right wires seems quite long and there is no slider on the cable to narrow the split. The reason this bothered me is that it could be easy to snag the cables on coats and bag straps, but this is really a minor annoyance more than anything else. I suppose the shirt clip could be used to alleviate this, but that’s not my preferred solution.

Internally, the M1 sports a large 10.7mm dynamic driver wired to a silver-plated OFC cable that terminates into a 3.5mm gold-plated L-plug. The cable can be worn down or over the ear. Of note, there are no plug adapters included with the M1 as it’s intended for use with portable devices.

Sound

The important part. Brainwavz claims that the M1 presents a “balanced sound” and “will leave your ears (and wallet) smiling.” Well, I actually can’t disagree too much this time.

The M1 performed very well for me across several genres and surprisingly never left me wanting for too much more across the dynamic range. Granted, I would never sit down for truly critical listening with these. But as a portable solution, I was pleased with the M1’s spacious sound stage, ability to center the musicians between your ears and a relatively balanced response. Instruments and vocals sound respectably authentic with smooth, clean detail retrieval. The M1 is truly easy on the ears without ever sounding too dark or recessed. Brainwavz claims the M1 will sound good with any genre of music, and the M1 handled all of my electronic, indie, punk, rock, jazz and acoustic folk tastefully with nice dynamics, sonic clarity and just enough vibrancy to avoid coming off as being dry or sterile. 

The M1’s 10.7mm dynamic drivers are rated at 32-ohm, with a frequency response range of 20Hz-20kHz and a sensitivity of 110dB at 1mW. These stats will tell you right off the bat that they are relatively easy to drive, but will likely lack real deep bass extension.

Before departing on my trip, I ran the M1s through several hours of tracks from The Sound Apprentice Picks Spotify playlist. A mix of songs from the likes of Sleeping at Last, Fink, Bonobo, Odesza, Sublime, Minus the Bear, John Butler Trio, Mammal Hands, Miles Davis, Glass Animals and many more played through my desktop PC and ALO Audio Pan Am tube DAC/amp. Once I left town, I mated the M1s to my new Hidizs AP100 High Fidelity Music Player (thanks CTC Audio) loaded with my lossless audio library.

When the music first hit my ears, I was immediately surprised by the balanced sound and nice resolution. I felt that I was actually hearing the integrity of the recordings and these different amps at work instead of an artificial sound from poor driver tuning. The M1 delivered a refined sound that didn’t call any attention to any specific frequency range. Some people will find this sound boring, but I personally prefer to hear recordings and gear as they were intended to be heard.

So, about that bass. It’s tighter, less boomy and more natural than the S0. It has smooth extension, but it does fall short of rumbling your eardrums. You can hear kick drums and deep synths, but you can’t feel them until pushing the volume into deafening levels. What’s nice, though, is that the bass never overpowers or smears the performance.

From bass to mids, the transition is simply smooth. I’d prefer a little more “meat” in this region, but tuned as they are the M1 handled instrument separation and soul quite well. I found vocals to sound quite natural, a little thin at times, but generally enjoyable.

As for the treble, I haven’t seen a frequency response chart, but my ears want me to say that the highs roll off relatively early. The highs that meet your ears, however, are clean and easy to listen too, but things I hear with my reference-grade headphones I simply don’t pick up with the M1. But, that’s to be expected. So while the highest detail retrieval may be underwhelming for the critical listener, the M1 still manages to not come off as being too dark or veiled. To those that are treble-sensitive, the M1 offers your ears some liberation.

For long listening sessions, I found the balanced and mellow sound of the M1 welcoming. I never experienced any ear fatigue whether I was listening for hours poolside, getting some late night listening in before bed, or soaring through the sky on the flight home (only complaint here is that the drone of jet engines decimates the bass). That said, much like I stated for the S0, for those looking for cutting highs with a vast soundstage, you’ll be left wanting for more. And for the real bass heads, I’d advise you to keep moving along. But for the head-fi guy or gal that wants an earphone that can do it all well enough and cheap enough, the M1 might be the right choice.

Bottom Line

To my surprise, I can honestly say that I enjoyed my time with the Brainwavz M1. I tend to stay away from IEMs, and after my disappointment with the S0 I had my doubts about this more affordable option from Brainwavz, but the M1 has earned a place in my travel bag—at least for now. The looks, build and accessories are all winning features, but the weight, comfort and sound quality are what seals the deal.

I’ll close this review by simply saying that the Brainwavz M1 in-ear monitor is for the hi-fi enthusiast that wants a no-frills, enjoyable and easy listening experience while on the go (without breaking the bank). Without any EQ adjustments, the bass goes low enough, the mids can warm your soul, and the highs are supple and smooth with just the right amount of shimmer to keep your toes tapping and you saying, “Just one more song.” 

For more M1 info visit Brainwavz or grab yours from Amazon.

Many thanks once again to Brainwavz and Audrey for reaching out to me and allowing me to take the M1 in-ear monitor on my journeys abroad.

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You guys are going to think I’ve become a Brainwavz fanboy or something if I keep these reviews rolling, but that's not entirely the case. It just so happens that I received their all-new HM5 Thick Ear Pads (fan), Zirconia Headphone Stand (fan) and S0 In-Ear Monitors (not a fan) as a bundle to review. So here we go...

Brainwavz recently redesigned their HM5 Ear Pads. This ear pad is quite popular among modders becase it fits a wide variety of headphones in both stock form and with some simple modifications.

Design-wise, Brainwavz set out to make these ear pads more comfortable than ever before. Not only did they increase the thickness (depth) of the pad, they are now using memory foam that comfortably conforms to your head. For those that would like to add some personal flair to their cans, Brainwavz is also offering the HM5 ear pads in a variety of colors (click here to see them) and materials, including synthetic leather, velour, sheepskin leather, and a hybrid velour/leather option, and they come in standard flat or angled shapes. In other words, there's something for everyone.

If you’re a regular reader of mine here, on Instagram or Head-Fi, you already know that I am a happy owner of the Shure SRH840 headphone, that I use it daily at work, and that I’ve made some mods to it to increase the comfort for all-day listening. So naturally, I wanted to try these pads to see what comfort or sonic gains could be made.

A simple swap of ear pads on the Shures makes noticeable differences. When I went from the stock pleather SRH840 ear pad to the velour SRH940 ear pad, I noticed less heat build-up, more “air” in the soundstage, slightly less noise isolation, but ultimately greater comfort and a nice listening experience. So, the velour SRH940 ear pad has been my daily driver with the SRH840s for several months now. Surprisingly enough, swapping those out for the new HM5 brown pleather ear pads has been an exciting experience so far.

Immediately, I have to say that the HM5 ear pad is more comfortable for several reasons. First off, the padding is supple—not too squishy where it turns to mush on your head, and not too stiff where you get discomfort from pressure points.

Second, the added thickness compared to the stock Shure pads gives both your ears and your music some room to breathe. I’m not experiencing “hot ears” in these like I did with the stock Shure pads. The increased depth of the pad also moves the driver and the internal cover away from the ear. With the Shure pads, my ears touched the internal driver screen; I wouldn’t say that it caused problems per se, but the less contact the better in my opinion. To me, the increased air between the drivers and my ears has also helped to open up the soundstage substantially. There’s greater instrument separation and the overall performance sounds less congested; treble is cleaner, bass is tighter and more impactful, and there’s simply a greater sense of space. The music just sounds better. Again, I think this is a combination of the increased space between driver and ear, but also because Brainwavz uses a thinner driver screen than Shure, so the dampening factor is a bit less—it’s like a veil has been lifted off of the dynamic range.

Lastly, noise isolation is very good, a definite improvement over the Shure velour pad and probably on par or maybe slightly better than the Shure pleather pad.

In my bundle from Brainwavz, I also received a pair of the HM5 ear pads in black velour. The original velour pads on my HiFiMan HE-500s were a bit worn, I didn’t like the quality or comfort (both poor) of their new FocusPads that I tried, and so I took the opportunity to test the HM5 velour ear pad on the HE-500.

NOTE: Making the Brainwavz HM5 ear pad work on HiFiMan headphones, like the HE-500, does require a bit of modification (and destroying the stock pad), but I assure you it is worthwhile, especially if you are unhappy with the quality and comfort of the stock pads.


First thing, remove the stock pad from the speaker and observe the plastic mounting ring stitched or molded to the pad covering. You will need to remove this ring to reuse for mounting the HM5 pad back onto the speaker. Peel the driver screen off the pad and use scissors or other cutting tool to remove the covering along the outside and inside edges. Once you have the plastic ring removed, trim its outer edge by a few millimeters to make the overall circumference a bit smaller. You will need to do this to be able to stretch the HM5 pad onto it. When stretching the HM5 pad onto the ring, be careful not to crack the ring; like most things on HiFiMan headphones, it is fragile. If the ring cracks in half, mission failed. Once you get the HM5 pad secured to the ring, simply remount the pad on the speaker. This sounds like a bit of work, and I guess it is, but it shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes, really.

As for the listening experience, I once again was impressed. Just like with the Shure pads, the HM5’s added thickness compared to the stock HiFiMan pads both gives your ears and the music more room to breathe. I never really had a “hot ears” problem with the HiFiMans, but I absolutely couldn't stand that my ears touched the inner driver screen. I would get pain on my ear tips during long listening sessions from the driver pressing against them. Again, the depth of the HM5 pad immediately alleviates that, which successfully moves the driver much further from the ear. 

To me, again, the increased air between the drivers and my ears seems to have opened up the soundstage of my HE-500s. I wouldn’t say it was as noticeable as with the Shure SRH840s, but there is a sonic improvement to my ears. Instrument separation again becomes a bit clearer and less congested. I didn’t notice any real changes in the bass/mid/treble response, but the soundstage seems to have opened up again. Subtle changes in sound, it does sound better, but the greatest gains with this mod are in the comfort region. The Brainwavz HM5 ear pad is just superior to HiFiMan’s: Better stitching, better padding, more comfortable.

The bottom line here is that the Brainwavz HM5 ear pad should be considered by everyone looking for an ear pad upgrade. It’s affordable, well-made, comfortable, and fits on a pretty wide variety of headphones. I strongly recommend them for Shure headphone owners, and I recommend them to HiFiMan owners that are willing to wreck their stock pads.

For more information, please visit Brainwavz and then grab a set on Amazon. Many thanks to Brainwavz and Audrey for reaching out to me and allowing me to audition (and keep) the new Brainwavz HM5 ear pads.

Simple. Sturdy. Stylish. Affordable. What more could you ask for out of a headphone stand? The Brainwavz Zirconia headphone stand accomplishes it all. 

The conversation about headphone stands pops up a lot in the head-fi community: What’s “the best” one? Which one is the most affordable? What’s a good DIY solution? I’ve seen everything from banana hangers and toilet paper roll holders to several hundred dollar pieces of wood being used for stands. To each their own. What it comes down to is what suits your tastes and needs best. As for me, the Zirconia headphone stand is one of my favorites for the head-fi guy on a budget.

At $20 it is cheap, cheap, cheap, but it doesn’t feel or perform that way. Unlike a lot of the flimsy low-end options in this price range, the Zirconia stand is made from light, but thick and durable Perspex that is solid and well-balanced. Meaning, this stand does exactly what it’s supposed to, no questions asked—it supports headphones of all sizes without placing pressure on the ear pads or spreading the headband.

Since the stand is also transparent, it easily blends into any listening room or office setting, and because of its high-quality material, it looks more like etched glass than plastic. Some will complain about the large BRAINWAVZ name etched into the pillar, but the etching becomes less obtrusive when angled or placed in the right light. And when a pair of headphones is on it, the text becomes even less noticeable.

There’s not much else to say. It’s a headphone stand, and it works. The Brainwavz Zirconia stand is practical, perfect for the minimalist, priced for the masses, and it performs. So do your expensive headphones a favor and quit laying them around or dangling them from banana hooks—they don’t like it. Get them on the Brainwavz Zirconia headphone stand where they can hang out stress free until your next listening session.

To see more about this stand and their others, visit Brainwavz or grab yours from Amazon. Many thanks to Brainwavz for providing this stand for use and review.

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Earphones, earbuds, in-ear monitors, whatever you want to call them, in full disclosure, I’m not really a fan. That's not to say that I haven't tried my fair share of these things, though. I've had probably a dozen or more earphones over the years from the likes of Apple, Philips, Samsung, Sennheiser, Skull Candy, Sony and others, I'm sure. So, I know what you're thinking... you get what you pay for. Well, my most recent in-ear experience is with HiFiMan's Re-Zero earphones that were gifted to me by none of than The Spirited Uncle M. And, while they have served me well for my commuter and travel needs, I'm generally thrilled when I can get any IEM out of my ears and settle back into a comfy pair of full-size headphones.

Nevertheless, when Audrey from Brainwavz asked if I'd like to audition and review their latest in-ear monitor, the S0 (Zero), I graciously accepted the challenge, because, really, who wouldn't? When a well-regarded company like Brainwavz asks you to do something, you listen (within reason of course). And listen I did.

Unboxing

When first getting my hands on the S0, I was pleasantly greeted with the high-grade packaging I have come to expect from Asian audio manufacturers. I’ve been working a lot with Cayin, Dunu, Fidue and T-PEOS products lately for a project I am assisting CTC Audio with. The Brainwavz packaging is on par with its competitors, presenting quality construction and materials, nice printing, and a novel magnetic outer flap that opens to reveal the product and all of the details about it. In your hands, you’d think you’re getting a product that retails for far more than $50.

Accessories

Another thing I have come to expect with the IEMs competing in this price range is a variety of accessories to customize use and fit. The S0 doesn’t disappoint here. Included with the S0 is a Brainwavz-branded cable tie, hard carrying case and shirt clip, and a variety of tips that include 1 set of Comply S-400 foam tips, 1 set of black silicone bi-flange tips, 1 set of black silicone tri-flange tips, 3 sets of black silicone narrow channel tips, and finally, 3 sets of grey silicone wide channel tips.

The hard case has two pockets that will secure all of these things in place while you’re on the go. Finding the tip that is right for you is really key, so experiment. I ended up using the tri-flange tip the most, getting the best comfort and isolation with it.

Build

Once you get the S0 in your hands, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with their sleek high-grade aluminum housing and overall build quality. They feel solid, the strain relief points are robust, and they simply look good. Internally, the S0 sports a 9mm dynamic driver comprised of a neodymium magnet and CCAW voice coil.

The cable is 1.2m of flat insulated pure OFC copper that is intended to be worn down instead of over the ear. It is terminated in a 3.5mm gold-plated plug, but there are no adapters included as the S0 is intended for use with mobile devices. As for cable microphonics… yes they are there. The shirt clip helps, but doesn’t alleviate the entire problem. Sitting still while working, obviously no problem. Hustling to the train on the other hand left every rub and bump traveling into my ears. On occasion I also picked up some cell static while texting. That said, I can’t really recommend these for use at the gym or on a run.

The S0 comes with a 12-month warranty, but their build leads me to believe that you should be problem-free.

Sound

Brainwavz claims that the S0 presents a “balanced sound signature with each part of the sound spectrum represented accurate and clear,” and “are designed to sound good with any genre of music.”

This is where I have to draw the line. Clear? Yes. Balanced? No. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but buyers beware, these aren’t going to sound like the AKG reference headphones you use at home. I’d steer the discerning audiophile away and offer these to the new head-fi enthusiast looking to make incremental upgrades from typical consumer brands instead.

The S0’s 9mm dynamic drivers are rated at 16-ohm, with a frequency response range of 18hz-18kHz and a sensitivity of 100dB at 1mW. These stats will tell you right off the bat that they are super easy to drive, but will likely lack real deep bass extension and some sparkle in the highs. So how do they sound?

My initial audition was based on running through several hours of tracks from The Sound Apprentice Spotify playlist. A mix of songs from the likes of Fink, Bonobo, Odesza, Minus the Bear, John Butler Trio, Mammal Hands, Miles Davis, Glass Animals and many more all made their way through the S0 on my Samsung Galaxy S3, through my work PC utilizing an ALO Audio “The Island” DAC/amp, and later through my big home rig… the Sony DVP-S9000ES mated to my Ray Samuels Audio “The Raptor” headphone amp.

Without a doubt, the S0 benefits from a true headphone amp of some kind. Expect to get a cleaner presentation and more definition and better impact. That said, the overall sound signature of the S0 didn’t change much, being only influenced slightly by the characteristics of the amp itself. 

When you first listen to the S0, you will likely immediately notice that there is a prominent mid-bass hump—or at least I did. Bass overall extends fairly well, but it does fall short of producing a real low-end that rumbles your eardrums. I also found that the bass was slightly boomy. Kick drums, for example, had the impact but sounded a bit hollow, or un-dampened and resonant. For rock, I felt the bass notes to be a bit slow as well, but for electronic music and acoustic, it gave off the impression of an intriguing “live” sound. 

Transitioning from the mid-bass hump into the real soul of the mids was, again, not what I had expected based on the claims of the S0’s balanced presentation. My ears found the real heart of the mids to be a bit recessed and lacking of the meatiness I crave to get my feet tapping. The mids that were present were certainly clean with acceptable detail, but never really balanced out with the bass. Vocals have a natural sound, but tend to fall behind the rest of the instruments.

As for the treble, it certainly rolls off. Again, the highs that are there are clean, but they don’t extend too far, which gives the S0 a darker, slightly veiled sound signature. To those that are treble-sensitive, this may be exactly the sound you are looking for. For long listening sessions, the mellow highs may also be welcomed because you will never suffer any fatigue. That said, for those looking for cutting highs with a wide soundstage, you’ll be left wanting for more. In other words, these probably aren’t for the fans of big brass sections or sensitive saxophones. Rather, fans of hip-hop and electronic music will likely be happier with the S0.

What I can say is that the S0 centers the soundstage very well. I found no imbalances in the channels, and you do get some three-dimensionality.

Bottom Line 

I have truly mixed feelings about the S0. The looks, build and accessories are all terrific. The cable could be better, and the sound is anything but balanced. But, these don’t sound bad. Not at all. These just fit a niche I think for those that favor a bias towards the lower end of the frequency range that helps tame a lot of today’s overly bright recordings.

In all, I’d say that the Brainwavz S0 in-ear monitor is for those that simply like mellow highs and a slight bass emphasis. The V-Shaped response really gives you that live hall experience.

For more information, please visit Brainwavz or grab yours from Amazon. Many thanks to Brainwavz and Audrey for reaching out to me and allowing me to audition the new Brainwavz S0 in-ear monitor.

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A common complaint about Audeze and HiFiMan planar magnetic headphones is that they're quite heavy and often cause irritation and discomfort to the contact points with the head after prolonged listening. Another issue for those with small heads is that the stock headband configuration doesn't always allow for a snug fit or ideal driver alignment with the ear. Here is a cheap tweak that will solve both of these problems.

Enter the Sennheiser HD600 headband pad. This OEM pad can be purchased from a variety of sites, like Amazon and elsewhere for around $19. If the OEM one isn't available, there are other affordable third-party options. To attach the pad to your Audeze or HiFiMans, simply use some double-sided tape, Velcro tabs, or glue if you want it to be a semi-permanent addition. I chose to use some small squares of double-sided tape. Line it up, stick it on, and you're good to go.

I can promise you that this simple tweak will take the comfort of your Audezes and HiFiMans to a whole new level.

To cover up the added pad and add just a touch more comfort and character, I also added a hand-woven wool headband wrap. For $10, it's a second cheap tweak that I can happily recommend.

Happy modding. Happy Listening.

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While you’ll rarely hear a complaint about the sonic qualities of the Shure SRH840 Professional Monitoring Headphones, there is an area where these cans do fall short for some—comfort. 

When I first wrote about these in “First Listen: Shure SRH840 Professional Monitoring Headphones,” I warned that these are on the heavy side (376 grams w/o cable), the headband design leaves a small contact point that puts pressure on your head and also leaves it prone to sliding around, and the synthetic leather ear pads tend to get warm.

Leaning towards the warmer and darker side of neutral with a slight mid-bass hump and highs that roll-off in the upper levels, these are a great choice for your all-day listening needs. So if you love the sound but hate the feel of these headphones, there are a couple of low-cost and easy-to-do mods that will shed some unnecessary weight and heat and take these cans to the next comfort level.

Headband Amputation

The stock headband is beastly. In fact, its wrap and innards weigh 75 grams alone—that’s nearly 20 percent of these can’s total mass. Luckily, this is easily remedied by removing the stock headband structure and replacing it with a Beyerdynamic-style snap on headband pad available through Amazon (buy it here).

This replacement headband not only offers a thicker strip of padding for added comfort, it’s also 52 grams lighter than stock and provides a more secure fit for individuals with smaller heads. Here’s how to install it:

Tools you’ll need: A mini Phillips-head screwdriver and a thread puller or Exacto knife.

Step 1: Using the mini Phillips-head screwdriver, remove the two screws on the back plate of the extension limiter located at the base of the headband.

Step 2: Carefully remove the back plate by prying the headband cover away from it (it is tacked in place by a thin layer of glue).

Step 3: Using your thread puller or Exacto knife, carefully cut each thread along the seam of the headband cover. Don’t cut too deep to avoid accidentally cutting the internal wiring.

Step 4: With the seam opened up, you’ll be able to peel back the covering and see a thin layer of padding and a thick black rubber frame around the aluminum band. Remove the pad and free the aluminum band from this structure (it just snaps out). This is the piece that adds all of the unnecessary weight to the headband. You can save or discard these pieces.

Step 5: With the stock headband structure removed, snap the extension limiter back plates into place (they are labeled for their corresponding sides) and use the Phillips-head screwdriver to replace the two screws removed from each side. Tighten until snug.

Step 6: Install the new Beyerdynamic-style headband pad by folding it over the aluminum band and snapping it closed (snaps should be on top, away from your head). For extra padding, you can also put the thin stock foam strip back in place before snapping the new headband pad closed.

Step 7: Plug headphones in, place on head, enjoy your favorite tunes through your modified, lighter (324 grams without cable), more comfortable Shure SRH840 headphones. While shedding 52 grams may not seem like much, when it is directly on a small contact point on your head, it makes a big difference the longer you wear them.

Ear Pad Upgrade

A second source of complaints and discomfort for many Shure SRH840 owners is the ear pads. The stock ear pads are a synthetic leather that are excellent for noise isolation, but they quickly heat up and can stick to your skin during extended listening sessions.

A low-cost fix is to replace the stock ear pads with the velour ear pads from the higher-priced Shure SRH940 headphones. These replacement ear pads are a perfect fit and are available around the web and through Amazon for around $20 (buy them here). The alcantara pads from the premium Shure SRH1540 is also an excellent pad, thicker than both the SRH840 and SRH940 pad and offering some improved ventilation. I highly recommend them, and you can grab them here. There are also a number of ear pads available from Brainwavz that I have used on my Shure and HiFiMan headphones that increase comfort and sound quality (reviewed here).

Here’s how to install them:

Step 1: Grab ear pad by edge, pull. The ear pad pops right off.

Step 2: Install the new ear pad be stretching the fabric over the driver housing and inserting it into the channel that secures it in place.

Step 3: Put your new, more comfortable, airier SRH840 headphones on and enjoy your favorite tunes.

Some people say changing out the stock ear pads for a velour set changes the sound dramatically. I did not experience a drastic change. You’ll lose only a hint of noise isolation and bass thump, but you’ll gain some airiness and I found the bass to sound a bit cleaner during my listening tests with bass heavy tracks like When I'm Small by Phantogram, Sketches of Pain by Audible Mainframe and Gooey by Glass Animals. Really, the velour SRH940 cups are almost identical to the SRH840’s, the only difference is that the velour wraps around the portion of foam that comes into contact with your skin. The underside closest to the driver grill cover is still the synthetic leather, so changes in acoustics are minimal. 

As for comfort, however, I find the velour pads to be far more comfortable, they stay a touch cooler for me, and they don’t get sweaty. It’s a personal preference. The synthetic leather and velour ear pads weigh an identical 34 grams per pair, so no weight savings will be gained by changing them.