Disclaimer
 
I would like to give a special thanks to Pandora for having these sent out to me. I am not affiliated with Brainwavz in any way and this product was given in exchange for my honest opinion, whilst all of this will be subjective I try to give room to be able to write from an objective stand point.
 
Enough of the rambling I would like to start this review because it has been a while since I’ve been excited enough to not want to put an earphone down and the BA150 is one of those earphones that just does it for me.
 
Specifications
 

1. Drivers : Single Balanced Armature
2. Rated Impedance : 30 Ω
3. Frequency Range : 16 Hz ~ 22 kHz
4. Sensitivity : 105 dB at 1 mW
5. Cable : 1.3 m Y-Cord, Over the ear, OFC Copper
6. Plug : 3.5 mm, Gold plated

 
Inside the Box
 

1. Earphone Hard case
2. 6 sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S M L)
3. 1 set of Comply™ Foam Tips T-100
4. 1 Shirt Clip
5. Velcro Cable Tie
6. Instruction Manual & Warranty Card (24 month warranty)

 
 
Build Quality/Ergonomics
 
This is just the one area where I felt the BA series was let down just a bit. Build Quality tends to be one thing Brainwavz does well from their typically beefy cables to their use of high grade metal, even in their lower tier earphones. Well maybe it was time for a change as the construction of the BA150, whilst solid, has been crafted out of a lightweight plastic with a thinner cable to boot.
 
Overall there isn’t anything special about these in terms of looks or build quality but I have a feeling all of this has been attributed towards the comfort the BA150 offers.
 
Speaking of ergonomics, the BA150 does a great job. They are tiny little earphones that have no problem melting away into your ear for extended listening pleasure. I haven’t found any need to rip open the Complys which are included in the box in fact I haven’t needed to change the stock silicon ear tips that came pre-installed. The overall comfort levels for me have been great, of course your mileage will vary.
 
If you are worried about these fitting snug I would write that concern off as they are very well designed. As for the build quality I wouldn’t recommend these for on the go listening or a hiking trip but for stationary commuting and home listening these should last the test of time if not Brainwavz have got you covered with 2 years warranty.
 
Sound Quality
 
I can’t stop listening to Grime with these, something is telling me this isn’t natural for a single BA. Typically speaking you will get a significant lack of bass when a company opts for a single BA driver this is not what I am hearing. Praise where praise is due Brainwavz hasn’t always stood out to me as a lead competitor but I have always been fond of their tuning except for their attempt with the M100(Review found here). I am pleased to say Brainwavz went back to the drawing board with one and whilst I only have a vague memory of the original B2 I know it was a Marmite type earphone whilst still being a technical achievement it was a little too analytical for me.
 
Enter the BA150, this to me is a dream achieved if you ever wondered if a single BA could match a good single dynamic the answer is yes. To me there is so much the BA150 does well. Coherency, smooth, detailed, comfortable and enjoyable are just a few words that spring to mind. So, let us break this wonderful achievement down.
 
Treble
 
Insightful, delightful and full of meaning. It has been a while since I’ve heard such gentle detail presented in a BA more stunningly especially since a single BA is running the entire show. The treble and highs take a different approach to the conventional BA tuning so instead of hurling a ton of sharp information at your ears you get a gentle light touch of detailing caressing your ears as you listen in.
 
I am quite impressed, seeing as this is just a single BA driver the workload it’s carrying should surely mean it’s not as capable as it is. I very rarely find any passages in any song where I feel like the BA150 is seriously lacking. The treble isn’t particularly airy but it’s light on its toes. There is room for each instrument to breath and each detail spins and twirls as it envelopes you but as good as all of this is the cravat that comes in the form of that light touch.
 
Let me put it this way, you can watch a feather weight boxing match and be impressed with the speed and accuracy of each hit but on occasion you’ll miss the depth and thunderous hits only a true heavy hitter can provide. So as much as the BA150 is very capable it can lack some of the necessary weight needed to reproduce something that sounds full, dynamic and in some cases realistic. 
 
Midrange
 
This is a little more of a mixed bag because there isn’t anything that particularly stands out. The midrange is neither forward or recessed but with the airy and rich tone the BA150 conveys makes them sound a lot lusher than they are.
 
I am a fan of how Brainwavz typically tunes their midrange and this is no exception. The qualities that are attributed towards natural sounding earphones all fit in quiet nicely here. They aren’t quiet as forward or as inviting as the Primo 8 by Nuforce but they are heading in that direction if you’ve heard the Primo 8 this should give you a good idea at what I am getting at.
 
Due to the tuning and configuration of the bass and due to it being a BA setup I do sometimes find vocals coming across a little bit wispy but it’s not always a negative as some vocal tracks require a lighter touch and that really give the BA150 a time to shine. Not to exacerbate its flaws it’s just worth a mention, but with selected tracks you still get a bit of Brainwavz magic and something I am always delighted to hear.  
 
Bass
 
I don’t call it little but I don’t call it big, the BA150 is the welterweight of bass. Quick snappy and nimble, but able to deliver a perceived impact when called upon. At first I was taken back by the bass thinking it was almost overly impressive considering its specs however with a bit more of an informative listen and with the honeymoon period over I can give a clearer impression of how the bass sounds.
 
That would be naughty but nice, the bass holds a good amount of depth and the sub bass and mid-bass really kicks it up a notch when needed. This is one of the cheekiest little BA earphones I’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. Don’t get me wrong there a still a light nimble touch with the BA150 which can be missed but for the most part it handles the bass like a champ.
 
The sub bass is where I find the BA150 to stand out from a lot of its single BA competitors it just doesn’t shy away from this by trying to be natural or flat it is just flat out fun when you want it to be. There is a good amount of control there so don’t expect these to be bass canons but damn for anyone who enjoys a good rumble I can’t see how these wouldn’t satisfy your needs.
 
Soundstage/Imaging
 
Spot on, a little narrow but considering how much else the BA150 does it’s expected to have at least one area where It does excel to the heavens and beyond. Fortunately, there is an ample amount of breathing room which give you a sense of space and the air between instruments really helps open things up.
 
Imaging isn’t the most coherent thing I’ve heard but it is accurate and you don’t need to strain to hear it, spatial cues are easily picked out from left to right and top to bottom, you get a good depth to the sound and imaging which makes them a real pleasure to listen to.
 
Despite it not being the tallest or deepest soundstage I’ve heard, the BA150 does a remarkable job or replicating and presented the information it’s being fed and stays away from sounding like a very ‘in your head’ kind of earphone.
 
Final thoughts
 
So, for my final thoughts would I pick these up for myself and would I recommend them? Hell, yes, I would! Brainwavz have truly earned this, 5 stars and it’s been a long time coming! I truly love these little things everything to the light housing to the perfectly well balanced sound is just a sheer delight.
 
For the money, they are a steal and I can’t wait for them to bring out their two-driver model. In my opinion these are a hit, whether you just want a new pair of earphones or you are looking for an introduction to BA styled earphones, these are a great choice and I can’t recommend them highly enough. Great job to Brainwavz who have really accomplished something special with these and once again I would like to thank Pandora for sending these out to me.
 
If you feel like I’ve missed anything out or would like me to answer any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below and I will do my best to get back to you. Thanks for reading. 

 
Disclaimer
 
As a disclaimer, I must mention the Edifier B3 sound bar was sent to me for this review free of charge from Edifier. A massive thank you to Kathryn who has been endlessly supportive during my time with the B3 an apology as well for the delay it has taken to write this.
 
Background
 
I am an avid user of most things audio which begs to ask the question why I haven’t dabbled too much into a great Hi Fi system. There is an answer to this, you see long ago when I was but a young lad I had an obsession for loud bass heavy systems. This resulted in me spending more on my car audio system than I did on my first car and some very unhappy neighbors.
 
Suffice it to say not everyone was happy, apart from me and my friends, so I had to look for a quieter solution here entered the world of earphones and personal audio. I was hooked and didn’t spend much time looking back. I am sure I have lost the point of why I am writing this but anyway since that time I haven’t seen many sound bars or stereos I have been particularly interested in.
 
Now with that era behind me I have come to rediscover my love for a good quality sound system and I will say this the B3 is one of the best sound bars I’ve heard to date.
 
Build Quality, Installation, Specs
 
Specifications 
 
•    POWER OUTPUT ：RMS 16W×2(Treble) +19W×2(Mid-range and bass) 
•    SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO ：≥ 85dBA
•    FREQUENCY RESPONSE ：60Hz~20KHz (±6dB)
•    INPUT SENSITIVITY ：PC: 700 ± 50mV | AUX: 550 ± 50mV
OPT, COX: 400 mFFs ± 50 mFFs
•    INPUT TYPE ：PC/Auxiliary/Optical/Coaxial/Bluetooth
•    MID-RANGE AND BASS DRIVER ：70mm
•    TREBLE DRIVER ：19mm
•    SPEAKER DIMENSIONS: 1000x79x80mm
•    PACKAGING BOX DIMENSIONS: 1066x170x143mm
 
Oh, if I could just jump into the sound I would but this needs some attention too unfortunately. So, let us kick things off with the looks. As you can see from the pictures below there isn’t much to it a very sleek looking, black Toblerone design believe me it might not be chocolate but it sounds just as sweet.
 
Installation is a piece of cake I am sure a trained monkey could fit this thing plug and play and the rest is paint by numbers. Should you have any issues though there is always the instruction manual for those less manly/prideful. There is also the addition of a wall mount in case you wish to have the B3 levitating in your set up.
 
Overall the build quality is nothing short of great and ticks all my boxes I think it would survive a drop or two, that is not a challenge however! Aesthetically speaking there isn’t anything to complain about and I have included some glamour shots below.
 
Under the hood, we have a generous amount of tech to keep you satisfied the B3 sound bar is loaded with four 70mm speaker units for lows and mids, as well as two 19mm tweeters for clear highs. At maximum setting, B3 can output 100 dB of room-filling sound. It also features DSP not sure exactly how it works but I am not complaining.
 

Features and Accessories
 
This isn’t a big section so instead of wasting too much time I have copied a quote from Edifiers official web page.
 
“Multiple Connections
B3's optical input delivers lossless audio. Coaxial, RCA Line In and auxiliary inputs are also available, so the sound bar can be connected to your TV, game systems, Blu-ray players and other sources at the same time. That means all your favourite entertainment are ready to go, whenever you want, without the hassle of switching wires.”
 
As always, I recommend the optical option a wire is also included in the package which is a nice addition. However, the B3 is very versatile allowing several other inputs in case you can’t go this route. The B3 also features improved Bluetooth technology, which provides up to 10 meters of connection. It's faster and more reliable. So, you can stream a world of music from your smart-phone, tablets and any other Bluetooth-enabled devices, seamlessly. (I got lazy and copied that last bit but I can testify for its accuracy in connection and distance quotation.)
 
Inside the box, you will get a handy dandy remote which you’ll be able to use to turn off/on the sound bar, select inputs, adjust volume and mute it in a hurry if you need to. The remote itself is quite small measuring about 8 cm X 3 cm. My only concern is given enough time in a family household this tiny thing will go missing. Thankfully even if you couldn’t get a replacement the B3 offers functional controls on the side of the sound bar itself. You also get a wall mount for easy installation, a RCA to 3.5mm cable and an optical cable for your T.V. 

Sound Quality
 
I never thought I would make it this far but we have and if you’ve stayed along for the journey come join me and let’s have a drink at the sound bar.
 
First things first I would like to state all impression made in each section will be my overall impression not based on any one setting unless specified. As this needs to be as informative as possible below I have broken down the characteristics of how each sound setting effects the performance of the sound spectrum.
 
News: This setting is certainly not for the bass lover and will happily cut out any unnecessary mid bass, this however doesn’t mean it hasn’t got a function. I find this setting more useful for listening to regular T.V you get a distinction of voices and the added treble and detail make for a good listening experience.
 
Movie: Okay we are barking up my tree now or starting to at least. The movie setting as suggested was designed for all your movie lovers out there and I say it does do a bang up job. This is certainly the more bassier of two settings mention so far but hints and keeps elements attributed to the News settings. Overall you get a darker sound plenty of detail and bass to boot it really is the middle setting and perfect for games and movies.
 
3D: This is my personal favourite but not for casual T.V watching or movies. This setting is and was designed, in my opinion, for the music lover. All in all, it holds a lot of the detail whilst adding a rich depth to the sound, panning out spatial cues from left to right and adding a blood pumping amount of bass to the mix. You would however get the impression that this would-be idea for movies or maybe even T.V but I would challenge that assumption. The reason being is the 3D almost adds too much bass for easy listening and this comes at the expense of the detail you need to hear during your viewing time, I have no idea why but the effects just aren’t the same when playing music through it, no loss of detail and an addition of fun. I am stumped but for now I will stick to that as my music setting.
 
I was in two minds about splitting this down into sections as I would typically do with my headphone reviews but in this case I would like to discuss the B3 as an all in one package.
 
There is much to love about the B3 especially when coming from the poor speakers packed into most of today s T. V’s. The first thing you will be greeted by is the pleasant volume increase everything from voices to hidden nuances are now much more pronounced. Of course, being able to hear what you are listening to is a bonus but the fun doesn’t stop there.
 
When you think of tiny sound it must make you cringe and believe me even though I haven’t a vast experience with sound bars some sound just as bad if not worst then your standard T.V speakers. Thankfully the B3 doesn’t sing that song instead you get a rich, detailed and enveloping sound that is great for everything from movies to music.
 
In all honesty when you have your desired setting you can’t really go wrong with what the B3 offers but there are obviously, some cravats to this otherwise stunning piece of equipment. Funnily enough what I am about to mention doesn’t seem anywhere near as prominent when playing music through the B3.
 
So, what’s the issue then? Well guys and girls, the simple answer is distortion. Please do not hear me wrong the B3 is great but when watching less that spotless quality recordings, T.V shows or Movies when pushed to its limits the B3 starts to become a little messy. There is a shake of detail and sharpness, the bass losses its visceral emotion and things just kind of just become unflattering. This isn’t the case however when playing music through it, I can only chalk this down to my T.V or poor audio sources as with music the B3 just shines as well as any good book shelve speaker.
 
Final thoughts
 
I have liked this sound bar a lot but as mentioned in sound section it isn’t quite perfect, it still has outshone a ton of its competitors or at least anything else I could try in that price range. I would like still like to see this get some attention because it is a great sound bar it might not fit the bill if you are looking for earth shattering bass or a complete surround sound system but hell for the price it’s a steal.
 
I’m sure I have missed some bits out and if you find anything you feel didn’t give you full coverage please leave a comment below and I will do my best to get back to you.

 
Disclaimer
 
Firstly, I would like to thank Pandora for sending these to me for the purpose of this review. All impressions will be made from an objective standpoint but do carry some serious subjective views, you’ve been warned. I’ve been involved in audio for some years now and enjoy music extensively. With a good set of earphones, headphones and source you’ll be set for life.
 
Specs
 

1. Drivers : Dynamic, 8 mm
2. Rated Impedance : 32 Ω
3. Frequency Range : 12 Hz ~ 22 kHz
4. Sensitivity : 110 dB @ 1 mW
5. Plug : 3.5 mm, Gold-Plated
6. Cable : Braided 1.3 m OFC Copper
7. Remote & Mic: 3 Button, Apple & most Android phones compatible

 
Accessories
 

1. Earphone Hard case
2. 6 sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S M L)
3. 1 set of Comply Foam Tips T-400
4. 1 Shirt Clip
5. Velcro Cable Tie
6. Instruction Manual & Warranty Card (24-month warranty)

 
If you have read any of my previous Brainwavz reviews, then you’ll pretty much find the same impressions and things included. I have uploaded a picture below just in case you wanted to see the case.

Features:

1. Tuned for clear sound with well-defined bass.
2. Special crafted drivers, with high purity copper and feather light diaphragm.
3. Made with aircraft grade metal.
4. 3 Button microphone & remote, compatible with iPhone & Android.

 
Multi-Function 3 Button Microphone & Remote:

1. Supports Apple iOS & Android Products
2. Phone Call Control
3. Audio Player Control
4. Volume Control
5. Supports TRRS Connector

 
Ergonomics/Fit+Mic
 
Hum it is hard, for a guy who loves to talk I haven’t much to add to this section at all. Due to the very basic design the M100 is just easy to get on with anyone who finds the ones you have to hook over your ear a little tricky there is no need to worry about that here.
 
Even with the provided silicon ear tips fitment wasn’t an issue and for those of you who are struggling Brainwavz very kindly throw in a pair of Comply ear buds just in case. Although, it’s worth mentioning as much I like a good set of foamies they can add a veil and bass to the sound something this earphone doesn’t need. But hey you can always try them out and your mileage will vary. As for me I have stuck with good old silicon for a change.
 
As for the microphone it works perfectly fine for calls and music you are able to play, pause and skip tracks all with the click of a few buttons. 

Build quality/Design
 
Okay usually I would have bored you all to death with ramblings in each section but being pressed from time I thought to let you just read the details for yourself.
 
Build quality must be discussed though as you do need to know if you are about to plunder into a purchase that is inevitably going to break. Thankfully in the case of all Brainwavz’s products you are covered by a 24-month warranty and for good reason they are confident enough to offer that on all their products.
 
They never seem to skip the build on their products ranging from low to high you find a consistency of solid materials. In the case of the M100 this is no difference you get a pliable yet rugged twisted cable; pictures below. Great strain reliefs and a durable, meaty yet light Y splitter.
 
Moving on to the earphones themselves they certainly don’t look like anything special it’s a typical straightforward design. The earpieces themselves are a little cone shaped almost reminding me of a mega horn, perhaps that was the idea behind the bass but more on that later. Each earpiece is also fashioned out of aircraft grade metal according to Brainwavz and is marked with left right indicators and of course Brainwavz’s signature printed across the body.
 
All in all, nothing noteworthy here to mention but certainly another solid build. Let us move on to the reason we ever bother to read reviews anymore anyway.. the sound!
 

Sound Quality
 
My first impressions….
 
I was pre-warned, if you will, of the need for burn in these require. Usually straight from the get go you can tell if you will like something or not. In this case, not! Now I am not saying these sounded terrible just not my cup of tea and considering I am a reformed bass head these should have tickled my fancy a little bit more.
 
I’ve grown quite fond of Brainwavz tuning over the months I’ve been reviewing for them their house sound is never an intent on being overly aggressive and they always push for the best out of whatever materials they are using despite the price. However, in this case I couldn’t grasp what Brainwavz were trying to do there was just a ton of bass, a wispy veiled treble and midrange which just seemed to hanging about.
 
I chalked this down to the warning so I stuck them in the draw playing loops of music hoping for a miracle to happen before I typed this review up. Well I can say for now there are improvements but maybe not to the extent I would have liked, maybe I knew in my heart this would happen but damn it I hoped.
 
Ramblings aside my first thought of these were bass cannons just being fired for the fun of it. Thankfully cannons have many uses when operated by a skilled hand who has had countless hours of practice. What I am saying is you’ll need to give these a chance at first glance they’re a monster but give her about 60-100 hours and you’ll tame the beast enough to appreciate her beauty.
 
(All impressions made here were after the earphones receiving over 50 hours of burn in)
 
Treble
 
Shining in the darkness there is a ray of hope these earphones didn’t offer much excitement to begin with and I can’t wholly say they will after burn in but there are some improvements which have led to my slightly sunnier disposition on them.
 
First things first don’t ever expect these to hurl detail at you because they just won’t if you want to put a character to them they are the moody teenager whose emotions are a simple mask to a pleasant soul. You get splashes of detail but nothing is over pronounced and I will throughout this review be making comparisons to the first range of Beats earphones because they are very similar in presentation.
 
You tend to get a touch of treble roll of when aiming towards the higher peaks but this does lead to a warmer more forgiving presentation. I wouldn’t claim these do a bad job but there is certainly nothing there that will stand out to impress.
 
Midrange
 
Testing, testing, mic check, hello is this thing on? Literally how I felt when I plugged these in the first time! Honestly when I get to the bass you’ll see why I’ve had issues with these. This part of the sound spectrum is almost hard to describe because of the copious amount of mid bass that overshadows it.
 
If you manage to overlook that blemish, you’ll find a U-shaped sound signature no bountiful amounts of detailing here but there is something a little special. Now I am pretty much settled in my audio preferences I know what I like and what to listen out for. One of my main selling points for any good piece of equipment nowadays is its ability to reproduce lush natural sounding vocals.
 
This may lead you to believe the M100 offers that well in a way they do but it is all too quickly ruined the moment a hair of bass appears. Vocals take a back seat to the rest of the sound but when you do get a chance to hear them there is a little bite and a seductive midrange to be heard.
 
When testing, these I ended up back on Andie Case listening to a few of her covers, check her out does some amazing work, digressions aside these paired with her vocals ticked the magic realm just a bit. Of course, it was soon destroyed by the bass but for the moments when it wasn’t, there was a blissful sound that echoed through my soul of peace and warmth. These are no doubt a warm earphone and certainly not for the analytical listener however, on a good day with the right track there is a something to be admired here.
 
 
Bass
 
Argh!!!! Can I use more exclamation marks please oh please let me!!! I have no idea who was behind the tuning of this model but damn it I wish they hadn’t been. Now I know this is coming across as aggressively harsh and critical but I will redeem it somewhat with further impressions just want to make a few things clear before I do.
 
No way in hell is anyone going to appreciate these fully without burn in, secondly if you have made it that far then please stick to Hip Hop or anything that requires bass by the bucket load. I am exaggerating and I have heard worst but the bass here is just unflattering, in my opinion, to the rest of the sound.
 
Sub bass extends well but it’s hard to pick out over the almost mono tone mid bass that seems almost ever present regardless of what song I play. For anyone looking for a decent set of bass earphones these may fit the bill, whilst I can say I’ve heard better if these come down to about half the price they are well worth a look.
 
Sound stage and Imaging
 
Somewhere amid all this I did find some space not really a lot but some. The soundstage is not tall, deep or wide just present enough to let you know instruments are being played and being occupied in different areas.
 
It is such a shame as Brainwavz have released a couple of earphones that have done a much better job and for the price I would pick the Jive in a heartbeat over these. Anyway, back to the topic at hand you can expect a decent amount of imaging and whist not airy there is enough breathing room to allow most instruments a place on the stage.
 
Final Thoughts
 
Okay this is a section I am happy to write and hopefully something Brainwavz will read into. I shall start with a question; are these really worth it? Simple answer no, not really. Now I know that isn’t what any company would want to have put in a review but it is the truth I have the up most respect for Brainwavz and their ethos but these didn’t hit the nail on the head or they did and just went in for overkill.
 
Kidding aside Brainwavz have something that could be worked with and tweaked to create something a little more befitting of its price tag but currently where it stands the company offers much better earphones in my opinion for less than half the price. These are a reminiscent version of the first gen Beats earphones that came out nothing more or less. Which is a shame as I had higher hopes.
 
Speaking of hopes I am sure for those who are aware of what Brainwavz are up to know of the new BA earphones they will soon have. I have heard the B200 prototype and all I can say is if I have the privilege of writing that up I imagine it to be a complete contrast to the feelings I have expressed within this review.
 
I must make an apology for not being able to fully articulate my impressions on these as I haven’t had as much time to write or listen to them as I would have liked. So please take these impressions with a pinch of salt and leave a comment below if you would like anything clarifying or elaborating on and once again thanks for reading. 

Introduction/Disclaimer
 
Firstly, I would like to thank the 1More team for giving these to me for the purpose of this review. All impressions will be made from as much as an objective standpoint as possible. I’ve been involved in audio for some years now and enjoy music extensively. With a good set of earphones, headphones and source you’ll be set for life. Well until the next new thing comes along.
 
Right unfortunately due to some serious time constraints this may just have to be my shortest review ever. No pictures will be included unless anyone is in need in which case just leave a comment. I hope I don’t hear any cheering from the crowds lol (what crowds, why are you speaking to yourself?). Anyway without further ado let’s kick this review off.
 
Accessories:
 
• Over-ear Bluetooth wireless headphones 
• Optional Kevlar core cable with in-line microphone and remote 
• Attractive traveling case 
• Micro-USB charging cable and power adapter 
• Luxurious packaging and storage box
 
Build Quality, Design, Ergonomics
 
I do apologise for not commenting more on each section like I like to do but if anyone is feeling they’ve missed some crucial bit of information please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below. 
Build quality is nice these are certainly a solid set of headphones. Wait is that all? Erm yes I really want to end things there but there are some points I would like to highlight and mention. Firstly, I know we shouldn’t be captivated by looks or to be as vein as to purchase any piece of audio equipment based on such views but simply put these things are kind of ugly and beautiful at the same time. 
 
Hold the phone that’s a touch harsh, well unfortunately I don’t think it is. I’ve been told off many a time for giving honest feedback heck if my girlfriend ever did look fat in a dress and ask me do you think I’d be stupid enough to give an honest answer? Yes, of course I would (R.I.P Dnun8086, avid Headfier and all round too honest guy.) No apologise need to be made I would hope she’d appreciate the honesty of course I would back up the comment with how beautiful she looks all the time which wouldn’t be a lie at all and she would know I was telling the truth because I was brave enough to accept the fury.
 
I feel I have gone way too off topic here so let me bring this back with some positives. In summary you could pick a pair of generic headphones out of a bargain bucket that could match the aesthetics these offer. However, you do get a chunky build thrown in there and some great qualities these are by no means flimsy and they did a great job with the crimson red.
The fit and finish both are done very well and I appreciate the efforts from the silver cuts outs to the flat wire connections and robust sleek headband. The fact still remains these still look far too generic.
 
On the comfort side though we do have something that is going to just engulf any of those out there with small ears. Benefits include extra noise isolation; side effects will include loss of ability to keep them of your head for longer than an hour before your ears become the next heating plate for Gordon Ramsey. 
I like the fit but I’m not in love with it and I can already see it causing a problem for some users the soft faux leather padding is beautiful on the ears but heats up way too fast with extended listens.
 
Functionality
 
BONUS FEATURES
 
The MK802s come with an optional Kevlar® core cable enhanced with TPE for comfort with additional in-line microphone and remote (useful if your battery is low). In addition, the MK802s works in conjunction with their optional downloadable 1MORE Assistant App. Current features include: Optional Hearing Protection for monitoring kid’s volume levels and for adults concerned with hearing health; Smart Burn-In for optimizing your MK802’s sound quality within a shortened time period; 1MORE button for controlling assignable apps right from your ear cup.
 
Whilst I haven’t had the time to try this feature out I will say it sounds like a bloody good idea and given the chance again I will update this review with my impression on the App. 
 
Intelligent Control Technology and Microphone- Convenient ear cup controls are compatible with Apple iOS and Android, allowing you to control Bluetooth, 1MORE app, volume, select songs, take calls, and activate voice control. Superior MEMS microphone eliminates echo, cross-talk, and background static for crystal clear phone calls.
Connectivity is simple just turn on the headset without the cable find your device pair it and bam. It's also worth noting the inline volume controls do not work with iOS devices.
 
I know I said I wouldn’t add any pictures but here is one of the user manual that will save me some time:

Estimated battery life is to be roughly 15 hours of music playback your milage may vary. (Connecting the audio cable automatically disables the battery.) One unfortunate fact: The headphones don't automatically power down after a long period of inactivity, and it's easy to forget and kill some battery life. A good way to avoid this would be to always store them with the cable attached.
 
Sound Quality
 
I will focus mainly on how these sound via the Bluetooth connection but in summary you aren’t stepping up too much when plugging in via the hard jack. Yes, they do sound at their best when plugged in with a decent source and you will notice a lift in clarity and resolution all around the board just take the impressions below and add a half a star to them. 
 
Treble:
 
Shining in the darkness is where I lie. Okay maybe too dramatic, there are details to be heard here and none of them fall into an abyss of bass although you may argue against that if you flip the switch but more on that later. As much as I hate summarising sound in a review sometime we just must! 
 
Surprisingly there is a copious amount of detailing in every nuance but this is all too diminished by the lack of refinement. There is a hard edge to the sound which gives off the impression that these are simple cheap but they aren’t, they’re far too complex to be categorised as cheap sounding.  
 
Midrange:
 
Now this is one of the reason why I think me and these headphones didn’t jell well. Personally there are a few specifics I look for when I’m listening to music, when I’m lost in lyrics and found spaced out in sea of musicality midrange is one of my main draws to attention. 
 
Unfortunately, this is where maybe I should have had my objective hat on a bit more because it was hard for me to get into an engaging listening session with the slightly recessed midrange the MK802 offers. I find it even harder to write about something I’m not excited about and that is one of the reasons I think I left these till last. 
 
Dry, present, ever so detailed and pushed back would summarise things quite nicely here. But that is being too hard on them, the poor things actually aren’t a bad set of headphones especially if you factor in all the features the treble detailing and build quality. Suffices to say I was straining myself to listen to some Hip Hop tracks where the recording themselves were midrange shy. I’ll move this section on into the bass which is another mixed bag but anyone who enjoys their vocals you can pretty much stop reading here. 
Bass:
 
Anything you would expect to want can be fiddled around with and tweaked here or so is meant to be the case. 
 
Three settings are offered Bass boost, neutral and Bass Light. I used the neutral setting for most of my listening and switched the bass boost on when necessary.
 
My overall thoughts would change going from setting to setting there are three different settings that all work very much towards what they were geared to but don’t seem to offer what you like to expect.
Let me elaborate on this a touch setting one Bass Light literally cuts out all bass everything from mid bass bloat to sub bass rumble has been diminished. Moving on to the neutral setting yes there is some fairly quality bass there nothing intrudes too much into the rest of the sound and there is enough pump and musicality to be called pleasant. Door number three Bass Boost, boost it, it does heapings of mid bass to spare and even a dash of cream to thicken up the midrange. 
 
Very disappointed I liked the bass boost setting and the meat it added to the sound but finding out that it was going to lead to a slightly sloppy and uncontrolled listen I soon resorted back to safer ground. 
 
They did an okay job with an otherwise gimmicky feature though some will find it far from that. The point being is I wished they would have opted for the bass settings to enhance all the qualities the MK802 already holds rather than just focusing on the bass itself. The Bass light setting just left you with an emptiness and the bass boost just added bloat (beside the hint of richness to the midrange). I suppose what I am trying to say is maybe they’d have been better off leaving this feature out and focusing more on the overall sound but hey that’s just my two cents.
 
Soundstage:
 
Well again it’s something I wish I had more words for but don’t. If I were looking for a pair of headphones another thing I like to hear is air, instrument separation and magical imaging. I mean it’s one of the reason why have the differences between in ears and over ears isn’t it? 
That all being said the MK802 simple just do their job nothing more nothing less, which can be a little tiresome. I wouldn’t say I have any major grips with it just that I was in want of more air more space and maybe a touch more precision. 
 
If you got the impression that these are a decent set of headphones scoring average marks all round you’d be about right. Think of any headphone that hasn’t really done too much wrong but never tickled your fancy and you’d be about where I am with the MK802’s.
 
Conclusion
 
Overall these aren’t a bad set of headphones especially when you are considering a Bluetooth set however it’s a shame these don’t really follow in the footsteps of what could be considered the in-ear counterpart 1More provide, which were in my humble opinion the best Bluetooth earphones I’ve listen to thus far. 
 
I can’t go out on a limb and rave about these because they just didn’t tick enough boxes for me. The bass control is nice but needs refinement, they are a comfy fit but I’ve wore comfier headphones. The price is always going to be subjective but I think there are better sets out there that I would be willing to save up to get closer to what I want. Knock these down to about £60 and I might be convinced there is still a reason for these being relevant. 
 
Here is a link to their website to find out more info on specs, picture and pricing etc.: https://uk.1more.com/collections/headphones/products/mk802-bluetooth-over-ear-headphones?gclid=COTX4Ki40s8CFS8o0wodiaUElQ
Amazon Link just in case that wasn't enough: https://www.amazon.co.uk/MK802-Bluetooth-Over-Ear-Headphones-Remote/dp/B01GT79OIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476194896&sr=8-1&keywords=1more+mk802

Disclaimer
 
Firstly, I would like to thank the 1More team for giving these to me for the purpose of this review. All impressions will be made from as much as an objective standpoint as possible. I’ve been involved in audio for some years now and enjoy listening to music extensively. With a good set of earphones, headphones and source you’ll be set for life. Well until the next new thing comes along.
 
Introduction
 
The best pair of Bluetooth earphones I've ever heard!!!! I can't stress this enough, I may not have had extensive time or experience with Bluetooth audio devices but everything about Bluetooth until now has pointed to one conclusion, hard wire is simply so much better!

Whilst that might still be the case but in this new day and age with times changing and Apple removing our jack leaving us jack less fools unable to jack off... Yes, I know what I said! (Also I am aware there is an adaptor but that's not the point I'm making!). We have to conclude there needs to be an advancement in technology and we are about to see a new era of Bluetooth and fancy do flip bangers to come during this period I’m sure.

Thankfully I'm glad to say even a diehard wired in audiophile such as myself has come to see a little ray of hope shining in this new, thought to be, fruitless abyss. Enter in the 1More iBFree. 

Now the introduction is over I think I'll bore you to death with the specifications, design, ergonomics, accessories and such. Thankfully there’s not much to add here so I’ll bullet point for the most part making comment on what is necessary.

Specifications
 

1. Bluetooth®4.1 and aptX®Coding
2. Water Resistant Aluminium Alloy Body
3. Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 4.1 with 30 ft. range
4. Battery Life: Standby 240 hours, Talk 10 hours, Music 8 hours
5. Range of different colours: Vibrant Red, Space Grey, Aqua Blue, Apple Green
6. Duel layer drivers, Titanium

No additional information at the time will update if I can find out any more bits of info.

 
Accessories
 
Once again 1More provides a stellar minimalist package that feels fairly premium.
 
Inside the box you will get the following:
 
• In-ear Bluetooth wireless headphones
• 3 sets of silicone ear tips and sport grips of various sizes
• Micro-USB charging cable
 
Pretty disappointed after receiving some great foam ear tips with their current flagship that they haven’t included something compatible here! Alas, hopefully all these reviews might lead to more of an assortment in their future products, fingers crossed eh.

 
Design
 
I won’t rant on about the design but have pinched a few beautiful pictures from 1More’s website to further the brief description of the iBFree earphones.
As aforementioned these do come in a wide array of colours all of which pop in my opinion my personal favourite being the Aqua Blue. Talking a little about the design they are pretty much what you can expect from a Bluetooth set of earphones slightly big and bulky but the craftsmanship, like all of their other products, is just superb. You’ll get a slightly angled nozzle and the ear glides for additional ear support should you feel the need to use them.
 

 
Ergonomics
 
Okay well it has to be mentioned even with all the eartips and ear glides I just couldn’t get a good, comfortable or secure fit! Not good when you consider the target audience, in their defence I could be just that 1 out of 10 who had a weird shaped ear. If you overlook this subjective flaw and manage to find a compatible set of tips, which I did in the end, you are okay there isn’t much wearers fatigue despite the bulky housing design.
 
Note for those who are struggling to find a good fit, foam ear tips with a slightly small bore due to the nozzle size also remove the ear glides if you find them of no use. Below you will see a picture of how the ear glides were designed to work.
 
I’d say that about wraps it up but please leave a comment below if you would like any additional information.

 
Functionality
 
All of what is written here can be found in the manual if you ever need to read it. In the manual you’ll see the first four pages have some useful diagrams displaying how the earphones work how to turn them on (No not like that!) and of course how to turn them off, you’ll also see how to charge them, how to change the ear tips and how to properly position the earbuds in the ears. 
 
Upon power up you will be greeted with the robotic mono tone “1More” followed by a brief announcement of you level of battery and connection “Pairing, Battery High.”  Navigate into the settings on your phone, then Bluetooth and you will see the “1MORE iBFree.”  Select this and you will be informed that the device is now connected. You will hear that same mono tone female voice upon switching off your device to “Power off”.

1. Hold and press the power button on the in-line controller for 3 seconds after that the device will turn on followed by a blue LED flash.  If you hold the power button for ~4-5 seconds it will turn off, a red light will flash and the device will turn off. The device should pair automatically when turned on (red/blue LED flashing).
2. There should be a red light with charging and this should turn off when charged. 
3. The device will take about 2 hours to fully charge and can support a 15-minutequick charge, which should give you 1 hour of playback. 
4. There are 3 buttons on the in line controller, volume up, power/multi-function button, volume down. 
5. The multi-function button has different functions in different modes. In call mode, you can answer/end call, decline call (hold button), redial previous number (press button x2).
6.  While in music mode you can increase/decrease volume with short presses of the volume buttons, you can advance Next/Previous by holding the button and play/pause with the multi-function button.
7. The device supports IOS battery widget, multi-device connection. Useful for checking your battery life as pictured below.

 
I would say all the information is pretty darn accurate and I’ve had a good distance connection with them and about 7-8 hours play time after a full charge.

 
Sound Quality
Yay finally the wait is over unless you just skipped to this part which I don’t blame you if you did, but I do know where you live. Just kidding let’s see how this thing performs.
 
Treble
 
I can’t lie to you all and say one will be welcomed into a room of refinement silky smooth detail and sparkly highs that will leave you misty eyed. However, what I can say is you will be invited in with detailed features scattered around the room, a rather sharp character and hard overtone will case it’s shadow whilst ironically shedding light on each instrument you are trying to pick out.
 
I seriously can’t get over how good these things sound overall! Yes, there is cravats in the sound of course there will be I mean take a look at the price tag and accept the fact you are listening to a Bluetooth device. Once you’ve got over all of that you’ll be enjoying yourself just as much as I have been, well at least I hope you will. Now back to the point at hand how’s this treble coming across in a few words clean, clear, crisp and a little sharp.
 
Those adjectives best describe the sound to expect I have no idea why but it is almost like the veil has been lifted in comparison to any and all other Bluetooth headsets I have previously tried. There is without a doubt a lack of refinement and a little weight resulting in slightly tinny sound, I am not putting you off just needs to be clearly described as best I can.
 
Concerned about the sibilance issues well you might have a right to be if you are overly sensitive to such things. I am blessed in the fact my ears have been able to adjust over the course of my journey to handle and cope with a splash of sibilance now and with the ……. It’s there just not overbearing so I am happy enough to spend extended listening time with them to enjoy the rest of its spectrum and character.
 
Midrange
 
“Hey! Hey!! Here I am, I’m not late am I guys?!” No you are not bloody hell calm down, ah what the heck you just do your thing girl. I can see a ton of people here finding a marmite type sound signature, as you have probably figured out I like marmite. So how does this tie into me making such an outlandish claim as to say “These are the best Bluetooth Earphones I’ve heard to date”.
 
Well I am glad you asked Sir/Madam the answer we find located is within the energy of music, the flow to which one can enjoy and relish in the ambience and character of a such a vibrant soul. I like this kind of midrange sort of an in your face transparent demonstration of vocals and notes combined with an unsure yet sunny personality.
 
I won’t for a minute describe the midrange as over confident, strong, thick or lush but that doesn’t detract from the level of enjoyment I get from these. In all honesty we are probably getting closer to why these sound so damn good, well to my ears at least. The magic voodoo comes with the breezier approach the iBfree is trying to demonstrate and does quite well I might add. I do in general prefer a slightly lusher sounding midrange but in this case because of the bass, which I will get to later, you get a more rounded type of sound as weird as that is to admit with what some audiophiles will call undefined.
 
I am not scoring these on the premise of their sound flaws dos or don’t but rather as a whole sound package. With the midrange expect to hear a level of clarity and some peaks towards the upper register but do not let this detract from the overall feeling these earphones produce so well.
 
Bass
In a nutshell we are happy to attribute bass with musicality and this is another area I’d like to commend the iBFree earphones for performing within their means.
 
Mid bass is fairly prominent and holds a candle over the sub bass meaning a little less bass finesse however, this is where most consumers looking for a set of Bluetooth earphones in particular really won’t care. If these are to be used as intended i.e for an active user, despite those pesky ergonomics, functionality and housing design, they are pretty brilliant because they are serving a useful purpose of delivering you just enough bass on your plate to have you feeling full and gratified.
 
No, sorry to say these won’t be winning any awards for the most well rounded sound signature any time soon but they perform well enough to the extent that if you enjoy them the last thing you’ll be doing when you exercise is thinking I can’t wait to take these bloody things out.
 
Short Story
 
Side tracking here a bit but one of my first experience’s with Bluetooth earphones was a need for something wireless ish to use as work when cleaning. I got sick and tired and quite frankly peeved at every time I would snag my wire and whoosh an earbud would be yanked from my ear and go flying, just one time happened to be into a toilet (a clean one but still).
 
Suffices to say that was it, I thought I’ll be blown if I am breaking a pair of any earphones costing £150 upwards and dealing with the annoyance of having something yanked out my skull. 
 
In the end I placed my order on some relatively cheap branded Bluetooth earphones in the vein hope it could at least serve me the purpose of enjoying my music and not having the continual upset of snagging my wires or losing earphones down toilets.
 
Stupid, silly idiot I thought to myself as I tried to bare and endure just one minute alone with these things…. Overblown bass, screechy highs, non-existent midrange, no instrument placement, musicality haha you won’t find that here and of course lack of any decent sort of volume levels, Bluetooth earphones just suck. That until this day has pretty much remained, Brainwavz did do a good job of losing me up making me believe not all hope is lost just not quite enough to convince me I could live without wires.
 
Back to the Bass
 
So now you know the history let me reveal the mystery of why I believe these to be one of the best if not the best Bluetooth earphones on the market. Simply this, enjoyment I actually like these once I’d wrestled with the fit and got over function control I just found myself enjoying these. I hate to say it but the bass is on point it lacks a touch of depth when you come to the lowest notes but with a good recording these are just a joy to listen to. Flabby and uncontrolled bass in Bluetooth earphones is becoming a thing of the past my friends and here seems to be the answer iBfree. This is by no means to say the bass is spot on but it doesn’t stray too far from being controlled and I’ve heard a lot worse. There is a shaky bit of flab that jiggles its way into the music every now and again but for the most part you are just going to be smashing these out enjoying your club anthems looking like a complete wally as bang your head to the beat re-enacting Ozzy Osbourne or Geezer Butler back in the old days. Just note you aren’t allowed to claim whiplash from 1More trust me I tried, when the insurance company rang they just laughed, can you imagine that! Moving on….
 
Soundstage/Imaging
 
Wow, holy crap that’s probably the most I’ve ever wrote in one sound section but I feel it was necessary as consistently we have had to face too many trade-offs when it has come to the wireless world of audio. This nicely leads me onto the soundstage and imaging something I rarely hear a lot of in Bluetooth earphones but you know what it is here and boy oh boy it’s present enough to be talked about.
 
Now before I go gushing my heart out I just want to say that I am not trying to make any outlandish claims that these are going to be a multi BA setup or anything the likes of which but just to merely proclaim my excitement for the fact a Bluetooth earphone has a soundstage and a fairly decent one at that!
 
Space, finally! You get an almost airy kind of signature here wide but not very deep still there are great spatial cues hard to keep up during complex passages of music but during the slightly less chaotic times you get an abundance of the slightly peaky treble and in your face midrange scattering detailed around your head. From note to note they accurately portray the information being presented to you. Yes, there are dead zones in the music which is so disappointing considering there is such a balance of excellence for the most part.
 
Overlooking the parts, the iBfree can’t handle you still get this moderately immersive soundstage with imaging being shown to you as best it can you’ll hear the instruments pop, click and vocals when or where they’ve been panned they’ll be presented. I suppose in a way this could be a way of saying you are getting to hear your music closer to what the artist indeed you to hear it like.
 
Okay let’s not get ahead of ourselves here they are good for earphones…. But in terms of Bluetooth earphones they are great and we shall leave it at that.
 
Conclusion
 
Need to wrap this up so some short pros and cons:
 
Pros:

1. Great Performance
2. Built like a tank
3. Nice array of colours to choose from
4. Battery life and charge time

Cons:

1. Potentially tricky fit
2. Big and bulky
3. No foam ear tips
4. Slightly peaky treble and midrange

 
As always if there are any questions or comments please leave them below and I will do my best to get back you. 
 
Link to their website for more info and purchasing: https://uk.1more.com/collections/in-ear-headphones/products/ibfree-bluetooth-dual-driver-in-ear-headphones

Introduction/Disclaimer
 
Firstly, I would like to thank the 1More team for giving these to me for the purpose of this review. All impressions will be made from as much as an objective standpoint as possible. I’ve been involved in audio for some years now and enjoy music extensively. With a good set of earphones, headphones and source you’ll be set for life. Well until the next new thing comes along. But I digress so let’s get into some of the background before this review.
 
Background
 
So this is according to the 1More team the first duel driver capsule earphone? Well apparently it is... This earphone was designed with motorcyclists and joggers in mind, comfort and unobtrusive was the plan and I might add job pretty much achieved! 
 
Through speaking a little to the Syed their Director of Marketing & Sales he shared with me some of what the company is striving to do and achieve with their products. Firstly, this is a company looking out for the budget conscience in mind… Well at least the audiophile budget conscience because let’s face it we still have those ignorant friends who would chose a £15 pair of Apple Earpods over something better. (Not ragging on Apple well okay a little but damn it they took our jack away and still have yet to release full Hi Res support on their devices). I’m getting off topic now but the point is 1More are here to create audiophile sound at an affordable price.
 
If you want to know about how they are tuning and designing their product’s, you’ll need to familiarise yourself with Grammy Award winner Luca Bignardi. I am not going to bore you with too much detail but will provide a link below to read up on his biography should you feel the need to.
 
Quote from Luca’s website
“I’m a musician. I love music and, thanks to my determination, I’ve become a Sound Engineer, a Sound Designer, a Producer, an Arranger and a Composer.”
 
Bio link: http://www.lucabignardi.net/biography/
(Didn’t write Biography because Bio sounded cooler, not that you needed to know that, but hey now you do)
 
Right off the bat we now have a good foundation for well-tuned headphones and earphones. It is nice to see companies going to such lengths to not only promote their products but to also invest in a solid backing rather than just trusting a product developer who may not have much interest or ear for superior musicality in the first place.
 
There is a ton I love about the sound and I will elaborate on that later.  If that wasn’t enough background let’s get into the packing, accessories and specs to get an even better idea of what these are about.

Specifications
 
There isn’t much to write about here but I will put down a brief of the information I have and also a picture of the internal design shell.
 
The 1More Capsule Features;

1. One Dynamic Driver
2. One in house designed Balanced Armature Driver
3. Magnetic Clasping Earpieces
4. Impedance 16 Ohms
5. Sensitivity:100±3 dB /1mW
6. Weight:14g
7. Rated Power: 5mW
8. Kevlar Core Cable
9. Wire Material: Enameled Copper Wire
10. Length:1.25m
11. Frequency Range of 20-40,000 Hz
12. A 3.5mm Gold plated jack

 
And that my friends is about it.

Accessories, Packaging
 

1. One Faux Leather Carrying Pouch
2. 4 Sets of Silicon Eartips
3. User Manual (If you need it)
4. One set of Silicon Sleeves

Okay well not a ton of accessories here certainly a little less that their current flagship which I've just reviewed but satisfactory at least. 

One huge major con to me though and I am exaggerating here is the non-included super foam ear tips that came with their flagship model. Why oh why God!! Seriously I am passionate about this they were and still are the best foam ear tips I've tried to date and if their aim was comfort and passive noise isolation these tips should come as a mandatory accessory. 

Personal gripes and opinions aside you will get some rubber condom sleeves for comfort and protection. These slip on fairly well and still leave you with a little bit of the aesthetes to see the earphones. One thing to note though is it does prevent the earphones using this cool magnet clasp system they implement which could have been avoided using a simple cut out? I suppose you could do this yourself but as these are going back I best not.

Anyways I am rambling now but I like the overall packaging as always it’s classy and sleek so let's get into the design side, ergonomics and touch on the practicality of these pills.
 

 
 
Design, Ergonomics/fit, Practicality
 
Something created for on the go users should probably fit a little snugger, were these designed a little too small, perhaps but if you are stationary or have a helmet over your head keeping these pressed down they are going to be just fine.
 
The design is based on a standard pill no not the generic rubbish branded by an otherwise amazing Dr, you all know who I mean. Nevertheless, I am pleased to report they do not follow the same styling or sound as that brand. The fit is pretty nice once you get a good seal with the right ear tips and for the most part remain in your ear when moving about.
 
I have noticed some micro phonics but nothing too hideous or horrendous. On a practical note if I owned a motor bike these would probably be amongst the first choice for my commutes although, saying that couldn’t use them to their full extent with my iPhone as for some reason the control buttons don’t work. If you are an Android user, they’ll be just fine.
 
 
I’ve uploaded a few pictures for your own viewing leisure as seeing something is usually 9/10 better than me trying to explain them.
 

Brain Burn In.

It is a damn thing okay!! I think this might be actually more effective than actual burn in, wait scratch that I'm not trying to start a war here! Jokes aside I'm seriously serious here guys we need to give our earphones a chance if we are ever going to live in harmony. Sure there will be times when we don't get along from track to track, ergonomics and build quality I'm certain we will hit a few speed bumps. But ladies and gentlemen, cats and dogs we owe it to our earphones and audio gear alike to push through the tough times and our comfort zones and band together to be reunited in union and get back to the soul of the music we all so long to enjoy together!

Did I ramble a bit there? Yep I think so... Point is I didn't think these were anything special at the start but the longer I listen in the less inclined I am to put these down.  They are good if not a little great I am no stranger to a well-balanced sound and I knows what I enjoy and these be that.

Sound quality

Gorgeously musical on the come up! Honestly you might just have thought you'd popped one hell of a happy pill by the time you've got used to these.

Okay maybe I'm being a little excessive but hot damn I love these little babies. Give me this sound and a different design I'd be persuaded to use these as my go to on the go pair of earphones, hands down. When you own a collection/selection with at least 10 viable choices for this intended purpose it speaks volumes for the sound quality.

Breaking this down in to bite size chunks we will have a look at the overall treble, midrange, bass and soundstage/imaging performance. 

Treble
 
I really didn’t know how to get this section off to be honest, kind of like the first time your fumbling around trying to undo your first bra strap. Too much information I know but seriously writing this part I was a little lost I just didn’t know how to begin or where to start.
 
Well I guess any part is as good as any, I am about to enter into the world conflicting contradictory phrases that might just have you wondering what the heck it is I’m on about or give you a good idea of how the treble sounds.
 
At first listen yes they were a touch bright, a little lean, clean but lifeless. After extended listening I can hand on heart say I don’t know where I got the idea from it’s like they’ve had a change of heart and have settled down to life a quiet life with the wife and the kids.
 
You get splashes of immersive detail that are now positioned within the track rather than in your face during quieter less complex passages you get a warm detail that whispers sweet nothings into your ear. These earphones have truly surprised me it comes to a point where by which I actually forget I’m meant to be making an analysis of the treble when listening to these because the music just melts away into your ears.
 
I could go and shout out and say they lack a hair of extension or there is a little roll off but when you are truly listening to them you don’t get that feeling at all. Well rounded detail and coherency is what to expect should you pick yourself a pair up.
 
Midrange
 
I’m interested in any earphone with a good midrange and ample bass as they are usually my most desired frequency’s when I’m enjoying my music. Now I won’t claim there is any magic going on here but balance is a damn hard thing to get right without making an earphone or headphone or even source for that matter sounding like a heartless beast with no soul.
 
Very happy to report these pills do the trick I’m alive and peppy as ever not in the mood for me to be in your face fine I won’t be, not in the mood for being quiet fine I won’t be. Heck just about every genre of music I have thrown at these have been handled with style and charisma the midrange has a way of adapting to each vocal on every song and matching generally speaking pound for pound, blow for blow. Never once have I felt there has been an over complex piece that the Capsule’s haven’t been able to cure. Just what the Dr ordered I think.
 
Following on from this though if you do enjoy your pop music or have just gotten into Twenty One Pilots as I have you’ll find these hard to put down. Every time I go back for a listen knowing moments later I’m to write about these a little part of me is saddened. Suffices to say after finish this thing off I’m going to be having a good time with these pills, party time is a foot my friends!
 
Bass
 
Price point people! There has to be a few drawbacks along the way and I may have found the nit-pick in this otherwise competent earphone. Wait hold the phone you said balanced and well rounded, you boasted about the musicality whatever could be wrong?
 
Not a lot no I’m not trying to fool you these things perform well hell I’d take them into the club! However, as much as 1More have tried to tick just about all the boxes there are some that just couldn’t be reached. Sub bass would be my little nag here and even though the Capsules perform relatively well the transition between sub bass and mid bass hits a slight impasse. There is a body rocking mid bass when call upon which leads you in to a false sense of security thinking you are safe, them bam out of nowhere the big brother arrives in aid of defence only to fall short. I was going to say make an ass of himself but it’s not that he does he tries hard, he cares and is considerate for the greater good but never quite reached the extension he deserved.
 
Poor, poor sub bass don’t worry I will commend you for the work you have done and don’t feel bad you are only as good as you can be.
 
None of this I might add detracts from the kick ass party attitude the Capsule brings to the party there is still life, beer and wine in plenty for all to enjoy. Not premium wine but good enough to get you smashed and that’s good enough for me.
 
Soundstage and Imaging
 
“Hey, how you doing?”
 
Shut up Joey we are not friends!” Or are we? Okay I took a second look, I like what I see how about a romantic meal and back to my studio flat for some loving? Pleased to report that was a yes and we got down to business and it was oh so good. Wait I’m a dude so that sounds a little wrong, well in the scenario I’m a woman okay so deal with it.
 
Pulling this back to the point I’m attempting to make what was the point in that sketch you might be wondering. Well folks the answer is simple a one worded answer, intimacy.
 
When I listened to these at first it was a meh, I like big open spaces violins and room to breathe. Still the case I might add but I’ve been opened to a newish type of sound stage and imaging combination which I must say has been quite brilliant and incredibly enjoyable and seductive.
 
There is an ample amount of space between instruments and gusts of fresh air hit every note during the quiet stillness of tracks. Yet, there is a sprinkle of unexplained magic that happens with this detail and space all going on at the same time the earphones signature kind of brings this all a little closer to you not invading your personal space but enough to call it intimate and immersive. There is a greater width than depth combined with the adaptive midrange which kind of leaves you feeling you are getting everything you want when you aren’t listening for the imperfections.
 
Going back to the sketch one night stands are fun but not without regret, in most cases anyway, to summarise there is a lot to like and the soundstage and imagine whilst far from being perfect offers a lot of fun and with some tracks an immersive experience that will just capture you and have you forget about analysing your music.

Thoughts and Conclusion
 
In all of this I think I can wholeheartedly recommend these as a great asset to any audiophile’s arsenal. Yes, they’re not absolutely perfect but find me an earphone that is at this price point. I want to conclude this review with some final thoughts.
 
Bottom line if you own a motor cycle and are in the market for a small comfortable earphone I can’t recommend much better than this. For those who want a good listen and just want to move away from analysing their music a bit these might be worth a look. I can see a few people having fit issues with these due to the rather small size but pick yourself up some foam ear tips or play around and once you’ve got a decent, secure fit you’re set.
 
I love the sound offered here well rounded and mostly unbiased with gobs of musicality to make these a real enjoyable listening, what more can I say.
 
As always if there are any questions or comments you would like answering please leave them below and I will do my best to answer them as best I can. Thanks for reading!  
 
Link to 1More's website: https://uk.1more.com/collections/in-ear-headphones/products/1more-c1002-capsule-dual-driver-in-ear-headphones

Introduction and Disclaimer
 
Firstly, I would like to thank the 1More team for giving these to me for the purpose of this review. All impressions will be made from as much as an objective standpoint as possible. I’ve been involved in audio for some years now and enjoy music to no extent, a good set of earphones, headphones and source you’ll be set for life. Well until the next new thing comes along. But I digress so let’s pop back into this review.
 
When I first heard these earphones believe me I wasn't taken back. I suppose I was roped in through the inviting invitation and the very subjective elevator pitch of "would you like to try the best earphones in the world." Way too much of a big statement which many companies have tried to make. This claim is almost always going too subjective and many companies have failed to stay true to that word. I'm not going to base this review with criticism just sober judgement and fair assessment. 

There is an air to these earphones that is a little bit different and refreshing, for starters let's talk about the design, features and some of the accessories included. Not to mention the packaging!! This has to be one of the nicest packages I've ever seen (that's what she said). But seriously possibly one of the best and well-presented earphones I've opened to date.

For the reviews that I've been asked to write for the company I will be attempting to keep things short as I have a limited time period. I just want every person reading this to get the full idea of what to expect if you decide to purchase these yourself so if my review here doesn't cover something please just leave a comment below and I'll do my best to answer and I've left a link to the company below too.

I'd like introduce you to the bipolar express, The marmite of sound, innovation, creation and another shot into an otherwise crowded market. You will see how I have come to these conclusions and titles for these earphone as I dive deeper into this review. 
 
Pros and Cons

I'll start off with some pros before I go into the cons. Without a shadow of a doubt it's undisputed that the packaging was just super with the 1more range especially their flagship model. In fact, the current flagship model comes with probably the best foam ear tips I have ever tried in my life I just wish every company in the world would provide these ear tips because it makes for such an enjoyable and comfortable experience. The ear tips themselves are a sort of hybrid between what you would find from a Comply ear tip and silicon rounded based ear tip the results are just superb.

To my knowledge in from the short conversation I had with one of the team members everything from the ear tips to the drivers inside where created by 1more themselves, in house, this in itself is a refreshing break from the traditional TWFK drivers and Knowles drivers traditionally used in most hybrid style earphones.
 
Cons still to be had though those drivers whilst manufactured by the company aren’t the last word in refinement or I should say consistency although, I must say this has been improving dramatically with burn in. Have no idea why BA’s don’t usually benefit much from this… I’ll leave that down to brain burn in perhaps.
 
Con number two as much as I like the design the bloody microphones can be abysmal for on the go listening at low volumes and for anyone who wears a hooped earring. (Don’t judge me lol) It has been a bit annoying though whilst walking down the street at one point I thought they were broken nope, just my darn earring taping against the cable.

I think that’s about it for now, so let's talk a little bit about the specifications what is actually inside this beautiful package.
 
Specifications, Accessories
 
Tech Spec

1. Cable Length: 1.25 m (4 ft
2. Plug: 3.5 mm Gold Plated
3. Wired Materials: Enameled Copper Wire
4. Frequency Range: 20-40,000 Hz
5. Sensitivity: 99 dB
6. Impedance: 32 Ω
7. Rated Power: 5 mW
8. Weight: 18 g

 

1. INTELLIGENT CONTROL TECHNOLOGY- in-line remote control is compatible with iPhone, iPad and Android, allowing you to conveniently control volume, select songs, and take calls. Superior MEMS microphone has independently set ground wires to eliminate cross-talk and background static.
2. TUNED BY A GRAMMY AWARD WINNING SOUND ENGINEER- 1MORE collaborated with internationally acclaimed producer, mixer, and sound engineer Luca Bignardi to perfect the final tuning to deliver a precise representation of your favourite artist’s intended sound.
3. THREE DRIVERS- these headphones have two balanced armatures and a separate dynamic driver. Together they deliver an extremely accurate listening experience with unsurpassed dynamic power and clarity from deep bass to sizzling highs.

 
Content
• Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones
• 6 sets of silicone ear tips
• 3 sets of foam ear tips
• Magnetic clasping traveling case
• Attractive storage case
• Quality dual prong airline adapter
• Matching shirt clip

Design, Features, Ergonomics

The earphones themselves have an offset angle which work great for wearing straight down. I actual couldn't get the right deal with any of the silicon ear tips provided so immediately switched to the foam ones provided. 

With the foam ear tips installed just having them in your ears is a sheer pleasure, sure they are a little on the heavy side but you don't notice it as the foam seems to take the brunt of that added weight.

As you can see from the pictures they are coated in gold and a marvellous blue/black finish. I'm not going to spend all day telling you how these look but do take a sneak at the pictures.
 

As you can probably see the wire coating is crafted out of durable fabric from the Y splitter down and although I don't think I can capture the detail enough the wires leading to the earphones themselves is wrapped in rounded finely grooved plastic. This part of the wire is actually something to write about be used it had resulted in almost a hybrid between the anti-tangle design you get from a flat wire and combined it with the ergonomics of a rounded one. Very interested to know if this was just a happy coincidence, brilliant thinking or just an aesthetic choice...? Either way I'm happy!!

The cable comes with a microphone for on the go listening with your mobile device allowing you to switch seamlessly between phone calls and your music. Quality is good no distortion testing phone calls and the mic also doubles as volume control, play and pause, skipping tracks and of course answering or hanging up phone calls.

To skip ahead double click the centre button, to go backwards triple click and as usual pause and play operates just using the single click. 

Sound quality

Well I think I've written enough to give you an idea of what these are all about. So shall we dive in to how these interesting things actually perform!

Going back to my previous title "bipolar express" I'd like to elaborate a little more on this and what exactly I mean. 
 
Treble

First of all, I'll start with the treble, detailed and finite given the right partner in crime these perform really well. You'll hear a ton of detail here and there is the odd extra detail I’ve picked out in a few well know songs I’ve listened to. Something I have only seen replicated by much pricier earphones.
 
Then there is the mood swings highs and lows but as our relationship grows she becomes more stable, subtle and easier on the ears. After running through about an hour’s worth of music I couldn’t get a real read on these one minute the treble just had a nice zing to it the next minute she’s screaming in my ear.
 
“Why didn’t you listen to me!” she yells!
“I did, I promise everything was fine until you changed your tone?” I replied
“Okay maybe I’m over reacting, this is a nice song how about we start again?” she reasons with me.
“Erm, that’s fine by me. Are you sure you are okay?” I ask.
“Yeah I guess I just didn’t like that track.” She replies.
 
Things are going well now, but damn this was a consistent battle up until about 10 hours of play time with her. I am happy to say we sought counselling and are now living a balanced and healthy life. Believe me though there were times I did leave her, that voice was just too much for me to handle but I’m glad I gave her one more chance.
 
Midrange
 
Ah good old midrange my friend something I almost instinctively listen out for when picking a set of headphones or earphones. To me the midrange holds the soul and life breath of the music of course this must be accompanied by a reasonable balance to the rest of the sound but I am a sucker for lush vocals.
 
I’m pleased to report the Triple Drivers do their thing here but not necessarily in a way that suits my personal listening preference. The vocals come across clear but there is no doubt a more V shaped sound curve these. I like the fact that with the right source pairing this can be fixed, plugged straight into my new Hybrid Valve AMP/DAC purchased through Kickstarter these become a different story.
 
I am trying to remain balanced here so for reference out of most sources I’ll say the vocals take a back seat but if you happen to be in the market for a nice little setup the combo I mentioned above is a damn good start on a tighter budget.
 
Surprisingly even with this sound signature bass and treble emphasis I found the vocals and midrange detailed offered just enough character to keep me interested. There is something that these earphones don’t do though which I find is a strength that comes from a lot of other V-Shaped sound signatures and that would be the soundstage. I’ll get into that later but it’s refreshing, in a weird sort of way, to not have the extra added soundstage. To my ear makes them sound a little less artificial.
 
Bass
 
As I don’t feel I can add much more in terms of description to the midrange I’ll skip right to the bass and boy oh boy they did a good tuning job here. I am not going to rave about the bass like it is some kind of God send but despite having an emphasis on the treble and bass the bass remains tight enough in enter into a more audiophile conscious listen.
 
Mid bass hits hard and fast but the decay lingers around long enough to make rap and pop songs a sheer pleasure to listen to. Now jumping down low we have sub bass, not limitless but sophisticated enough to add a level of depth to the music. Controlled and relatively unobtrusive with a splash of youthful vigour to please all of those bass lover out there.
 
I would like to add some personification to this section of sound and the next but I am hitting a touch of writer’s block so If you need any info pester the crap out of me in the comments below.
 
Soundstage
 
Last but not least and probably the shortest part of this review is the soundstage. It sounds good. Ha how cruel it would be to leave things there. Pulling my finger out here I will say this the soundstage is nothing to write home about but holds good spatial detail and give off a slightly airy sound.
 
It is neither wide or deep but it is there! Given then sound signature I may have expected more but am glad they didn’t try and over sell things here I think it may just be the reason why it holds things together so well for me when the midrange is sleeping in the back, lazy git lol. Seriously though it adds a bit of intimacy but partnered with that detailed and slightly unpredictable treble it ties things together quite nicely.

Overall thoughts and impressions
I haven’t got the urge to tell anyone they should run out and buy these right now but for the price range they aren’t bad, heck in their own way they are a little brilliant, sure you might find something a little better more suited to your needs but for those indecisive buyers looking for a really decent set of earphones I’d give these a shot.
 
I wouldn’t have bought them off hearing them on first impressions but after some time spent with them I am happy to call them a great edition to the squad. You won’t find better packaging or foams out there that’s for sure, well in my opinion for this price range… But the sound whilst balanced, detailed and coherent doesn’t stand out enough for me to make a haste recommendation, but these are damn good earphones and credit where credit is due. If 1More keep on working off this as their benchmark it won’t be long before there up there with some more serious competition.Still really great value for money at $99.99 US and £99.99 GBP
 
Links to product page and pricing: 

https://usa.1more.com/products/triple-driver-in-ear-headphones
https://uk.1more.com/collections/headphones/products/triple-driver-in-ear-headphones?gclid=Cj0KEQjwxqS-BRDRgPLp0q2t0IUBEiQAgfMXRHSqb1MDXX4dm7a2-Wku7XjhFzHCvn2vpRo1Xd-NunkaAvn78P8HAQ

 
Introduction Disclaimer
 
I was given this sample in exchange for my honest opinion and impressions. I would especially like to thank Kathryn for getting in touch for purpose of this review. I have been involved in audio for about 5 years or more now, listened to countless setups, mostly headphones and earphones but here we go again my second speaker review.
 
Inside the Box
 
It’s that time again let’s hop into the unknown and what is to be expected when you crack this sucker open. Side note not relevant at all but my cat seemed to like the box as he wouldn’t actually let me open the bloody thing when it arrived, cute as anything to watch though. One thing I would like to add here though is the smell when you open the box is a pleasure I don’t know why or how but these speakers came smelling like a brand new car off the showroom floor. Before I even started listening I was there sniffing for a good 20 seconds not that you needed to know that and it’s not like I have a habit or anything (eyes darting from side to side) haha.
 
Now we have a fairly minimalist array of accessories but I wouldn’t really expect much anyway, this is a portable Bluetooth speaker so I’m happy with what was included maybe a carry case would have been nice but meh it affects me not.

 
Inside you get:

1. One 5V charging plug
2. One Aux cable
3. One User Manual (Men need not apply), wait I don’t think I’m allowed to say that, that’s not PC surely… Ah well it’s out there now I mean come on how many of us macho idiots actually read the manual anyway.

 
Kidding aside you’ll have everything you need to get your new toy up and running.
 
Features
 

1. Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity with NFC
2. Up to 8 hours play time with built-in rechargeable batteries
3. Water and dust resistant to withstand harsh outdoor conditions (not for underwater use)
4. Digital sound processing and dynamic range control
5. Volume controls
6. Optional AUX 3.5mm Jack input
7. Power button/output control
8. USB Output for charging you mobile device (audio device) on the go
9. 7600mAh Battery

 
Specs
 
I’ll drop a bullet pointed list below so you can see what’s under the hood of this beast.

1. 2x 70mm drivers
2. 2x 19mm tweeters silk dome tweeter
3. 3x Passive radiators giving a total power output of 36W
4. Total power output:8Wx2（Treble）+10Wx2（Midrange and bass）
5. Signal to noise ratio: ≧85dBA
6. Frequency response:80Hz ~ 20kHz(±3dB)
7. Input sensitivity:800±50mV
8. Input type: Auxiliary/Bluetooth
9. Weight about 3.5 pounds,
10. Dimensions: 11” x 4.3” x 2.6” (Not including handle)

 
Build Quality/Design
 
Boxed up and ready to go, the MP700 offers a very lackluster design and whilst might not be the most aesthetically pleasing thing in the world to look at, it does however function quite well in terms of realistic practicality.
 
This thing is packaged up like a beast and I’d happily carry it around as a backup weapon, the thing is tank like to say the least. I would have expected nothing less though as the aim was for on the go outdoor listening so of course it needs to be able to sustain some wear and tear.
 
Edifier mentions this is water resistant whilst I wouldn’t recommend taking a bath with the thing a few rain drops and splash will do little to nothing to affect this beauty. The speakers are encased in a durable metal and the buttons in that super soft plastic you just want to touch and feel up all day, maybe that’s just me….
 
Located on the top of the box you will find your three primary function controls i.e Power, Input selection and volume control. Look to the side and you’ll see the little rubber flap concealing the auxiliary input, USB output and of course your DC power port.
 
I don’t find the design or size overly obtrusive and Edifier have tried to spice things up with a little patterned design on each side of the speaker. Last but not least you will find an almost perfect brushed metal handle/stand for when/if you decide to lug this thing about with you for your travels.
 
At this point I want to mention the handle does shift all the way to a 90-degree angle and whilst useful for propping the thing up, if you like to angle your speakers correctly like me then you might have wanted them to have opted for a slightly more flexible design. I would have liked about an extra 45 degrees or maybe just a little stand on the back to make my own adjustments, anyway that small blemish aside we shall continue with the review.

Functionality/Connectivity
 
Not much needs to be said here so I can keep this to a paragraph. The Bluetooth functions as it should, giving you an ample range of up to about 30 meters with my iPhone at least. Literally, for testing I had to leave my house and walk down my drive before it cut out. Pairing is simple, controlled by the power button through a series of clicks you’ll see a tiny blue led flash when pairing and to indicate it’s on, a solid red led shines when hooked up via the auxiliary input and the function is selected and that’s really all she wrote.
 
Battery Life/Useful feature
 
As you know in today’s modern times we all need as much juice as we can get from our devices as we survive in this workaholic day life. I have been able to confirm the 8 hours of playback is a very realistic time when being played at about 65% max volume.
 
The other neat feature which you get is the option to charge your device via the USB port provided which according to the box is kicking out 5V not sure what that works out to maybe 1A or 2.1A either way charges my phone faster than the battery goes down so it’s a big plus in my book.
 
Of course you’ll expect a little less than 8 hours of playback if you are charging your devices as well but in my humble opinion this offers plenty enough juice to get you through the day on a full charge. Charging time took about 3 hours from flat-full.
 
Sound Quality
 
It’s harder for me to describe the sound you get from speakers built more for portability unless they truly excel in one way or another. I suppose one of the major questions here for some people looking to buy would be how loud can it go? Don’t worry I will cover that just rest assured it’s enough sound to fill a room comfortably.
 
I usually like to split things down into categories but I will for a change of pace be describing the sound as a whole. This is more to do with the fact of how this speaker was designed and picking out each instrument was never what this was designed for.
 
On the whole you will get a smooth, lush and rich overtone of notes, please do not be mistaken into thinking this is just some bass cannon aimed at those late night parties where nobody cares what’s being played as long as I can’t hear or remember anything the morning after kind of deals we are good.
 
Nope I truly believe Edifier tried to make the MP700 catered to a more refined listen, more of a picnic, cheese, wine, good company and nibbles kind of deal. This can be a fun speaker but strictly speaking for out and out enjoyment disregarding any of our audiophile training this just isn’t top dog.
 
Every detail in your music will be presented with a glass of milk or milkshake whichever you prefer. When listening to the MP700 I found myself relaxing a lot more, rather than analysing the sound looking for new things or mistakes. In essence the MP700 takes me back to my teenage days where we used to sit on the park and try and play our music as loud as we could with the crappy speakers you’d plug into your phone. (No disrespect Sony we loved them at the time!). I hope I am not losing too much but the point here in a nutshell is these are the type of speakers you want by your side when you are hanging out with friends be it on the go or even a small house party. They just do their job very well.
 
Bass notes are the most prominent with the midrange following closely behind but in the race for the sound space treble takes a back seat. These are without a doubt a great listen but for the audiophile conscious listener there will be areas which just won’t tick all the boxes.
 
I like the level of clarity you get with each detail being presented with enough definition to be clearly heard. if it weren’t for that pesky mid bass stealing the spot light this would be a really well rounded portable speaker. By no means is it totally unbalanced but you are leaning towards a more consumer friendly sound.
 
My hopes for the future would be at the very least a bass adjustment system to balance out the sound because in reality this is pretty kick ass sound for on the go.
 
Loudness okay for those who want to know how loud the MP700 can go the answer is simple, very. I don’t unfortunately have the equipment to test how loud in DB but I will say this for a house party or an outdoor adventure there is no doubt the MP700 will be able to handle just about everything you throw at it, even at max volume you will find little to no distortion which is a big plus in my book.
 
Value for Money/Conclusion
 
In today's crowded audio society innovation and great sound at the right price is becoming harder and harder to achieve. Now I won’t rave about this as the best Bluetooth speaker ever but it certainly would go on my strong recommendations list if you need one. I have seen many offerings by companies some better some a lot worse but the MP700 is just a sweet spot in terms of performance and price.
 
It won’t win any beauty pageants that’s for sure, but for rugged on the go listening with solid sound for a decent price you can’t really go wrong in picking this up. The fact I can charge devices through that USB slot at the same time is a nice feature I’d like to see more companies offer with bigger Bluetooth speakers.
 
All in all, this is a great buy if you’re in the market take a look around but be make sure this is on that list because it really is a really solid performer.
 
 
As always any questions or comments you have please feel free to leave them below and I’ll do my best to get back to you. Thanks for reading!

Introduction/Disclaimer
 
Guess who’s back, back again Brainwavz S5’s grabs some music and a pen. Yep you know I am here writing up another short piece on the S5’s this time. Sorry my review is a little late to the party but hey it’s here if you want a read. A little about me, so I have been following audio for about 5 years now and been enjoying the journey/growing addiction ever since. 

I would sincerely like to thank Pandora for sending out this sample unit for purpose of review in trade for my honest opinions and impressions.  Let’s jump in first with the specs.
 
Specifications:
 

1. Transducers/Drivers: Dynamic, 10 mm
2. Drivers: Dynamic, 10 mm
3. Rated Impedance: 16 Ω
4. Frequency Range: 18 Hz ~ 24 kHz
5. Sensitivity: 110 dB at 1 mW
6. Rated Input Power: 20 mW
7. Cable: 1.3 m Y-Cord, Copper
8. Plug: 3.5 mm, Gold Plated

 
Not looking too shabby so far but by now I must add it would have to be a pretty damn finely tuned single driver to stand out.

Accessories:
 

1. Earphone Hardcase
2. 6 sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S M L)
3. 1 set of Comply™ Foam Tips T-400   
4. 1 Shirt Clip
5. 1 set of Silicone Bi-Flange Eartips
6. 1 set of Silicone Tri-Flange Eartips
7. Velcro Cable Tie
8. Instruction Manual
9. Warranty Card (24 month warranty)

 
At the very least I will always say this about a Brainwavz earphone you will get what you need from there accessories package. Every earphone I’ve had from them and reviewed has come provided with all I need to keep them safe, provide a comfortable fit, detailed enough manual (For those who like to read) and security knowing I’m backed up with a warranty card. Also always love that Velcro cable tie and carry case just so handy for keeping these tangle free, well most earphones, these don’t really need any help the cable kind of does all the work.
 
I could write home about the accessories but please take a look for yourself. I must add I love a good picture it writes all the details for you. Now to take the pictures, sighs I must be tired as even that seems like too much effort haha.
 

Design / Build:
 
So what do we have here, a cheeky housing design which at first glance I admittedly hated. The Brainwavz S5 shells are made from a really lightweight metal, why do I stress this point? To be honest it’s because these things look pretty darn big and when you match the size of the housing and think of metal your first thought might be heavy! Not in the slightest with the right ear tip I can wear these for hours straight down or hooked over my ear. I must add the ergonomics of Brainwavz’s earphones is continuing to grow on me daily. These have been well thought of although, I did have my concerns when trying to get these to sit flush in my ear with the silicon ear tips but as soon as I pulled out the comply eartips bam we were in that toasty bed, snug as a bug in a rug.

Talking a little more on the design you can clearly see the splitter used is made of some beefy stuff. In fact, I would like to personify the identity of these earphones. Journey with me if you will, feel that cool gust as the air thins look up and see this Viking hiker standing on the brow of the rocky white hills of Everest, there he stands rugged as anything beard fully grown chunky arms and rotund belly facing all the elements backpack loaded to the brim standing almost as tall as he is. There we go I think that pretty much sums the earphones look up. A picture can paint more sometimes then my attempts at writing how these look so I’ll save that for the sound section, after all that’s really why we do what we do and buy what we buy right?

 
Ergonomics/Cable

Keeping it short one final word on ergonomics and I have covered it briefly even though S5 has been designed for over ear wearing you do have the option of being able to stuff these in straight down with little to no problem. The cable design whilst working great in the war against tangling isn’t the comfiest thing to hook over one’s ear so 70% of my wearing use was in the straight down position, hey no naughty thoughts guys and girls. You might find these a little strange looking but honestly I get weird looks all the time my advice, wear them how you feel most comfortable close your eyes and listen to your music.  

Previously mentioned these things are rugged as you can see and has been mentioned by other reviewers. The Y splitter is reinforced and the jack even looks like it has an extra layer to protect it from every element. I like this cable but it does come at the cost of comfort whilst I haven’t had many issues the flat style design adds in extra microphonic noises and does compromise the S5’s flexibility. I am trying to stretch this section out a bit but it doesn’t really need it if you’ve had any experience of a flat cable design think of that as a reference and add in the factor these actually don’t tangle like some other cheaply made attempts using the same design.
 

Microphone and Functionality
 
Everything works great here and I must say the microphone/control system works pretty good. There is a subjective con I would like to add and this comes due to the highly stable design of the S5’s, those buttons are stiff! I mean when you are going through trying to skip a track I sometimes have found myself having to stop and really give them a firm press. Aside from this everything is kosher and works as it should although I couldn’t seem to get the control functions to fast forward or rewind when running Tidal.
 
Here is a picture of the Media controls and the Phone call controls just in case you wanted to know how it is all supposed to work.  
 

Well, well kiddies it's that time again! Let us dive into the depths of creation and explore the world of music and fidelity that the Brainwavz offer. 
 
Sound Quality

Treble
 
Now I wouldn't say this is the strongest suit of the S5's but I wouldn't say the results are treblible, feel free to hang your head in shame for me for adding that awful pun. Anyway back to the matter at hand how does it sound, what level of performance can I expect? At this price range considering the market I would have hoped for a little more refinement. 

Notes and instruments are all clearly defined however, there is a metallic taste to the bite and details where there should be just aren't fully accurate, despite its attempts of cramming them in. I mean you will get a nice and fair amount of detail and a spacious amount of air but gosh they could have turned an otherwise decent earphone into a more serious contender.

Pros are though despite the level of refinement you get the detail you need. Oodles of it, no but more than sufficient to pick out nuances, strings, pops and more in just about every recording. 

Midrange

"Why hello gorgeous, fancy a night out on the town with me? I like the way you look, please feel free to show some of that sparkling personality."

"Oh but I am embarrassed can't you let me cover up just a bit baby, I'm not shy I just don't want everyone looking at me... How about when we are home alone I show you a bit more?"

Needless to say we had a fantastic night and she truly gave me a great time as we popped on some beautiful pop tracks. I felt on occasion I melted into the vocals and forgot I was meant to be assessing the sound quality here.

There is a slight lift resulting in a forward personality but on the occasional song this character takes a back seat. For the life of me I can't figure out why!!! But I will say this if you are a vocal fan in favour of a more balanced signature with a little bass to boot and can sacrifice a little treble maturity, on a budget these might be well worth a look. 

Bass 

I could summarise this is a sentence. "Let me hang back and do my job if I have to!" Yeah that would pretty much be all she wrote. I can't leave things there though because the bass whilst not a holding a great deal of complexity still performs well overall maybe being slightly outclassed by newer models in the same price range but I digress. 

Sufficient mid bass rumble comes into play and is dependent on the track of course. A footnote I need to add are these aren't reference flat and if you get the first impressions these lack bass you need another set of ear tips on there because they just don't. The bass is all over the place sometimes then other time you will find her perfectly controlled it's like a mood swing the S5's just have. 

Sub bass extends down about 3/5's of the equator but once again fails to really impress a discerning ear. I'm not here to pick out every fault I can, I actually like these earphones a lot just have been spoilt over the years by hearing what true fidelity can sound like. Don't be put off by this merely add it into your consideration.
 
Soundstage/Imaging
 
I must say despite some of the short comings the S5’s really does give of a spacious sound for the price. It came as quite a surprise to me when listening to selected songs which I use to test out the sub bass of earphones and headphones. (Cay’s Crays, Fat Freddy’s drop remix by Digital Mystikz) thank me later. Anyway I just wanted to put some emphasis on how the soundstage and imaging plays a suburb part here there are details and rattles subtle hints of the music that are layered into the song and really bring a sense of deep dimension to the song. I was about 2 minutes 18 seconds into the song when I started to hear sirens in the background I haven’t really heard this placed so well before chimes of a what sounds like the hands of a clock ticking plodding along in the background.
 
Well played is all I can say a great addition to this otherwise slightly outdated earphone. I enjoyed the aforementioned song so much it ended up on repeat. If you like an airy signature with fairly decent layering and can handle a bit of a treble peak these do perform remarkably well in this section.
 
Conclusion

I suppose it's time to draw towards my final thoughts on these overall otherwise rounded earphones. Will these be for you? Honestly I don't know if you are looking for something that you can be assured will likely outlast the 24 month warranty provided and are looking for a throw around pair of earphones with a more than adequate sound then yes. Out and out audiophiles looking to pick apart sound on a budget I'd still recommend looking around. 

Damn it I'm still in two minds with these whilst I have enjoyed them very much at their original price point I can't recommend getting them, when the sales on and they can be snagged at half the price if you've got the money without hesitation these are a pair I'd always have to hand as a handy back up.

As always if there are any questions or comments please leave them below and I'd be happy to get back to you.

Introduction/Disclaimer
 
I was given this sample in exchange for my honest opinion and impressions. I would especially like to thank Kathryn for getting in touch for purpose of this review. I have been involved in audio for about 5 years or more now, listened to countless setups, mostly headphones and earphones but here we go my first speaker review. I would usually advise taking this review with a pinch of salt but I don’t want you to miss out on the following, no they will not hit every member of the audience reading but damn if you ever enjoyed listening to music, not analysing it, then please read on. 
 
Accessories
 
Open the box and you will see a user manual useful, RCA to 3.5mm auxiliary cable, an optical cable, remote control and XLR connector cable.

Here is some information about each accessory starting with the Included 5-pin XLR connector cable which measures 3 meters long if I am not mistaken. Brilliant quality you get that thick meaty feel from these cables which is used to connect the left and right speaker. The length of the cable is just perfect you shouldn’t have any issues setting them up even if you are placing them across a big beautiful monitor, laptop or T.V.
 
Next you get the optical cable which measures 1.4 meters. You get protective caps to keep them safe if you intend to be anal about keeping things pristine. 
 
Two for the price of one you also get one RCA to 3.5mm auxiliary cable and one RCA to RCA which both measure about 1.6 meters. Whilst I still wish they were a little more premium they will get the job done and you’ll be able to use it to connect the speakers to most generic audio sources and DACs. I have found having both included and the functionality of the speakers very useful.
 
Yay a remote for lazy people like me, I am so pleased to know I can just sit on my bum and with the slight raise of my hand a press of my thumb I have an abundance of control. The remote control is 10cm x 4cm. It is very sleek looking and uses a Lithium Cell CR2025 3V battery. Taking the back of the battery holder off can be a pain and I would recommend using a coin like object to avoid any aesthetic damage.
 
Specifications
•    POWER OUTPUT ：RMS 25W×2(Treble) +35W×2(Mid-range and bass) = 120W）
•    SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO ：≥ 85dBA
•    FREQUENCY RESPONSE ：48Hz~20KHz (±4dB)
•    INPUT SENSITIVITY ：PC: 900 ± 50mV | AUX: 700 ± 50mV
OPT, COX: 350 mFFs ± 50 mFFs
•    INPUT TYPE ：PC/Auxiliary/Optical/Coaxial/Bluetooth
•    MID-RANGE AND BASS DRIVER ：5.5 inch
•    TREBLE DRIVER ：1 inch
 
Build Quality/Aesthetics
 
I don’t know where to begin! These things are stunning to look at. I’ve had to pinch pictures off the web because my camera nor editing skilling are able to capture this level of magnificence! From the moment you open the box you get that sweet whiff of brilliance. Each speaker is encased with this attractive wood finish and put together tightly giving such a quality and premium feel to them. Find pictures below for a little tease. 



The titanium dome tweeter is protected by a hard metal mesh and looks ever so inviting just such outstanding quality all the way down to the pop filters, you get to see the subtle hints and details Edifier have put in.
 
Everything from the remote to the nobs, inputs, outputs, cables (bar the RCA ones), speaker grills and casing is in just one-word superb. Details have been clearly thought about in this design, front facing speakers for the finest sound, removable pop filters and on the active speaker an LED interface, you can see the L.E.D. screen which displays different colours to let you know the input selected (Red – Optical / Blue – Bluetooth / Green – Auxiliary-PC). They are tilted for perfect performance and of course the tiny feet that raises them just enough for you to enjoy the clearest sound possible tightening up the bass just a hair when standing on an even solid surface. Okay I can’t go on gushing about these all day, after all I must be objective in this review because it is for those looking for a quality set of speakers and you have a right to know exactly what you are buying.
 
The remote will be my first target to bully, I jest it isn’t bad functionality is almost spot on but I will get to that later. The remote is light weight with a sexy silver finish as you can see from the pictures below. I am being fussy here when I say this and I know it was to keep the remote looking sleek without bulges but it requires a battery similar to the ones you find in a watch, possibly a slight inconvenience if you don’t have one lying around the house. I haven’t opened her up yet but I can see you would easily be able to damage the finish trying to get into it if you are using a foreign object such as a screw driver I would recommend using something like a small coin which will sit flush inside the grove giving you access to the battery without damaging or striping the case as mentioned previously. Other than that and one bit of functionality, which would have been hard to implement anyway this thing is perfect. Maybe a nice wooden overlay across the back would have been nice to get that matching feeling but that’s about it.


Whilst I wouldn’t recommend throwing or dropping these gorgeous speakers, I have a feeling they could withstand more than an accidently drop. It is worth mentioning the weight of these book shelve speakers are fairly heavy but that’s what you get when you are buying a premium product. 
 
At this point I feel like I am rambling so let’s move on to the functionality section.
 
Functionality
 
There is a ton to cover here and whilst I would like to bore you to death just for fun, I have instead decided to bullet point the many features with a brief overview of how they work and how well they work. Let us begin. 
 
1)    Bluetooth: Easy as pie to setup, click the remote search for it on your device and partner up. I actually found this feature really useful especially considering the massive range this thing has. If I want to I can be downstairs or pottering around my house get a mood swing want to change track pull out my device and bam! Honestly it really holds its own in the sound department too, I am a hard wired guy through and through but I was really impressed that you don’t lose anything, well maybe a hair of detail, but overall it is like wow how does this voodoo magic work so well?! Many Bluetooth devices compromise sound quality and I can assure you this is not one of them. The Edifier S1000DB speaker supports aptX® codec for that superior quality and can receive a stable signal up to 10 meters away regardless of what’s in the way. 

2)    Auxiliary: No complaints here, provided is a basic RCA phono to jack lead nothing to write home about setup is simple for any able bodied person and the inputs are clearly marked out on the back. Whilst I know the cable is delivering sound just fine I am a bit of a believer in high end quality cables, you can purchase them separately, but I wish there was at least one included other than the basic ones to really add to that premium finish. I’m moving on and don’t worry I promise I will get to the sound section, patience young one.
 
3)    Optical: Now I will have to elaborate later on the sound but setup is simple just plug and play from your optical device. Honestly sound at this level is the greatest you will get from her please do hook these up optically if you can, whether it’s to listen to music, watch a movie or your favourite T.V program these sound just sublime!
 
4)    Coaxial: Unfortunately, I didn’t have the equipment to test this input out but I would assume it works perfectly as it should just like the rest of the unit does. 
 
5)    RCA to RCA: Again very similar to the RCA to Jack. A very useful advantage of having both a pc input and aux input is the flexibility you get. You are easily able to enjoy what input you like without having to faff around with wires and getting off your ass. Just to give a short example I’d hooked the RCA-RCA to my TV initially for testing however, my music device was lying by the side and I was in the mood for a change. Just selected my track on my beautiful AR-M2 and then clicked the button changing the input and voila, just perfect nothing of an inconvenience for me at all. The same would apply should you have your phone to hand and it paired wirelessly via Bluetooth. 
 
6)    Drive in behind the back and take a look at the rear end of the sexy beast and active speaker you can see the interface laid out in the pictures. Here you will discover volume control, treble and bass nobs. The power switch is located just below those three controls. You will also see the additional inputs which are the 2 RCA inputs (AUX, PC ~ white/red) followed by the Optical Input and of course a Coaxial Input which is marked with yellow innards. The active and passive speakers are both hooked up to each other via the XLR input connection. You can also change the audio source by pressing the volume controller useful for those of us who will inevitably lose the remote at some point. It will control everything from optical, Bluetooth, RCA and the coaxial input.
 
7)    The remote control: This sweet little thing ticks almost all my boxes, very useful and functional as you can see you have an option to change almost everything at the touch of your fingertips. The treble and bass settings are the only thing you can’t mess with through the remote so you will have to get off you bum if you wish to change them. I must mention this one very useful feature the remote holds which is a mute button located right in the centre pad, I have used this when receiving phone calls (side note not a slight bit of static or interference from mobile devices here, well shielded Edifier!) it is a really nice feature and one I wish every manufacture would include. 
 
Sound quality
 
Typically I'd like to break this down into sections but due to the nature of these speakers I will do a sub section on music fidelity alone after first exploring what to expect if your intended use is gaming, T.V or Movies.
 
Let's bounce to it, yes I said bounce not pop even though these things do pop off! One thing you'll notice is the pronounced depth and rich overtones the S1000DB’s are capable of producing in any setting, this doesn't mean you are left with an overshadowed amount of bass, far from it but yes these are willing and able of creating some seriously good neighbour waking chaos.
 
Whilst gaming I have found the Edifiers to be extremely satisfying. Whilst I left them on their neutral setting for the purpose of review it's very much worth noting the tuning of both the treble and bass is far more than a gimmick here. Please find more information in the section labelled tuning. Moving on from my distracted writing and back to my impressions whilst gaming you will find your games coming alive with this set up through optical or RCA whichever route you chose. Either way you'll be grateful for the thought and quality that the S1000DB has to offer here.
 
Playing an epic game of Zombies on the Xbox one resulted in explosions of sheer delight and gun fire that pulsates through one’s heart, exhilarating is one word I would use to sum these up for all you gamers out there this is an experience you wouldn’t want to miss. There are a few nit-picks here and there as you miss a touch of detail in the midrange but you are way too involved to notice and this is something I'll come to elaborate on when I mention how music sounds through these bad boys.
 
Getting lost in your favourite movie or T.V series is great so why not kick things up a notch and add the S1000DB in to the picture to create a more cinematic experience! Truly as of yet I haven't found much that could outclass theses for their outstanding performance and lush sounding depth of field for a simple 2.1 setup. With the correct speaker positioning and optical output these do deliver an immersive experience, often at times I found myself thinking how I managed to live without them up till now. I can't offer any comparison to anything in this price range but I will say this much the Edifiers will surely not disappoint you if you are looking to enjoy a good movie kick back with a glass of wine or bottle of beer and be taken aback by a new, fresh and invigorating experience. (This coming from anything your standard T. V’s standalone speakers will be able to produce)

Music fidelity
 
Rather than ramble on and repeat myself let's get a little more clinical here. How do these sound when you’re in the mood for your favourite Jazz track or in my case any genre that tickles my fancy and I'm not kidding here I can't pick one, some would say I'm a music genre whore but alas let them say what they wish I have my music to comfort me. My questionable music ethics aside I'll break the sound down into three categories treble, midrange and bass.
 
Treble
 
Well I am going out on a limb to say using these in their base setting I.e. no enhancements I did find the treble at first a little underwhelming but don't let this put you off. The tuning options you have allow you more than enough room to acquire and tweak things to your taste. There isn't an in your face or sharp nails on a chalk board kind of sound here, it's just not what the Edifier's do, they are the middle aged gentleman looking for a comfy chair to relax into whilst sitting back enjoying the sweet detailed notes in his 40 year aged old scotch. You get all the flavour you need here with minimal sacrifice to anything you may think you are missing. My perfected preference was with the treble dialled in slightly past 2pm edging closer to 3pm but hey that's me these are flexible and do not forget that! 
 
Midrange
 
Okay, so we know we are covered on the bass and treble front with those dials right, well good but is this it, the one biggish con I could find? I hate to say this but I have found a chink in the armour of an otherwise flawless product! The midrange lacks a little soul in favour of following a richer warmer tone. It kind of feels like the more detailed upper register got a little left out at the party. "Aww poor baby don't worry you'll still be allowed to come in but hush hush not everyone is allowed to know you are here". Sorry me and the midrange just having a moment there she needed a little comforting. The midrange plays a very important role for me when I evaluate sound because to me the vocals can be a gateway to the heart of music when done correctly. Now the Edifiers might have come up short in this department but they are by no means bad or left out entirely with the neutral setting you'll get plenty of details and vocals will still come across crisp and clean if not a little recessed but hey I'm willing to live with this because of how well they perform in every other department!
 
Bass
 
If you've stuck with me this long you might as well hang around for the rest and possibly the best? Bass is spot on for me and with the tweaks you can make just turns this thing into an absolute force to be wrecking with! You might think I'm on about a sub-woofer rattle you windows shaking kind of bass here well I'm not although, pushed to the limit with a good track I'm sure they'd give the windows a hard time. Mature deep sub bass is easily soaked into the mix leaving a warm rich sound that hits hard with a nice amount of decay, most likely due to the housing design I found with a lot of wooden set ups. Yes, I've heard bass faster, yes I've heard it cleaner but have I heard something as well rounded? Still up for debate the balance these strike between mid-bass and sub bass is just fantastic you will be hard pressed to find such a mature student at this level and everything from your favourite EDM track to Bill Withers will result in a Lovely day. Hit a like if you got that. The point is the S1000DB is a well round chap and deserves some attention nothing is misplaced here and with the functionality you get as well it's almost hard not to call these a bargain.
 
Tuning
 
So it must be mentioned to really polish this review off the tuning these speakers offer really couldn't have been better implemented, with the exception of a mid-range dial. I will keep this bit short because it does do what it says on the tin without any added surprises, well unless you are surprised at how well it works.
 
The bass dial when turned up will result in a deeper hit, not necessarily more mid bass but a throatier meaty hit is to be expected. The opposite is very true should you go the other way dial her down and you will tame the beast and be left with a thinner sound detracting from any bloom if you happen to need that option with bass heavy tracks or films.
 
The same can be said for the treble it just works a treat you want a sharper sound without sacrificing too much on the mids you can turn her up and you'll be swimming in all the detail you could want. A song too sibilant for you? No problem she's got you covered dial that treble down and cut off some of those screechy high notes.
I must say I'm very impressed, I've seen this kind of implementation before with less that satisfying results but in this case I'd say Edifier have hit the nail on the head!
 
Conclusion
Would I buy these? In a word yes. With many options out there it's always a tough pick so do your research try before you buy and see what you like but if you do end up with these as a decision I can't see many people suffering from buyer remorse. These are an incredibly well rounded pair of speakers and with the diverse range of functionality, practicality, sound quality and aesthetics you are in for a solid purchase. 
If there are any questions you would like me to answer, please feel free to leave them in the comments below and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible.
For more information and purchases please follow the link provided here to Edifier’s website:
http://www.edifier.com/int/en/speakers/s1000 

Introduction/Disclaimer

Well hello again feels like ages since I have written anything and due to my busy work schedule this review maybe a little shorter than I'd like. Add comments below if you need more info on the product. So I have been following audio for about 5 years now and been enjoying the journey/growing addiction ever since. 

I would sincerely like to thank Pandora for sending out this sample unit for purpose of review in trade for my honest opinions and impressions. 

What's inside the box Jack?

Not much but everything I'd want I think. Check below for a quick breakdown. I find it extremely generous of them to provide free comply foam ear tips at this price! Just a side note I love the hard case included it's a little longer than others, that what she said, but it really makes wrapping your earphones up and packing them in a little easier, the red outskirt, zip lock and metal logo is a classy touch. You also receive this handy Velcro strap band to keep your wires in place when you wrap to prevent tangling which works well if used correctly.
Please find more information and pictures below. 
 

 
Included Accessories:
1 x Comply S-400 medium foam tips 
3 x Pair silicone tips (S/M/L) 
1 x Velcro cable tie 
1 x Shirt clip 
1 x Brainwavz logo sticker 
1 x Brainwavz earphone carrying case 
1 x Instruction manual & Warranty card 

 
Specifications:
Drivers: Dynamic, 9 mm 
Rated Impedance : 16 Ohms 
Frequency Range : 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz 
Sensitivity : 98 dB @ 1 mW 
Rated Input Power : 20 mW 
Plug : 3.5 mm, Gold-Plated 
CABLE : 1.3 m, Copper

Build quality/Design

Well they are metal I will say that much; fine I'll write this section stupid conscience making me make this as comprehensive as I can.

Made up of an entirely metal housing the units themselves are pretty straight forward as you can see in the pictures below. The debate on housing/performance is still open but at the very least they feel nice and you get that bit of extra durability vs a cheap plastic housing. Both the left and right earpieces are clearly marked with a go faster strip pinned across the body on both sides. If it's too much trouble to look just pick up the side with the mic and bang that's your left earpiece. 

Let's talk ergonomics before I plough forward with the microphone and cable design. Whoever designed these must have made them for me! Love it an angle so slight you can barely tell by looking at the monitors themselves but it's there believe me, or at least I think it is? Each earpiece seems to be tilted ever so slightly into the depth of your ear canal. The result for me was a comfortable fit off the bat without even having to open any of the extra included ear tips which I usually have to do or go straight for the foam. I wish and hope to see more little design features like this in the future the angle isn't obtrusive or ugly just enough to get whatever desired effect the creator was going for, which I think had something to do with comfort and sound quality I would have assumed. Anyway long story short I'd like to say it worked alright for me! 

Cable and Mic 

Guy's not going to lie here I almost want to leave this section as short as the cable is! Saner heads prevail I don't know why but Brainwavz thought it be a good idea to have a shorter cable then most whilst not devastatingly short by any means it did present a slight issue when I went for a jog, trying to place my phone in my lower pocket and keeping the earphones in was a no go!

The cable leading to the earpieces is a little flimsy, whilst this doesn't matter to me would have been nice to see the same thicker style which runs to the angled earphone jack throughout. I am nit picking now because overall these things are damn hard to fault for the price!! Nice little chin slider and cable splitter complete the package so let's talk about the mic and functions.

I couldn't get the mic working on my mobile device due to technical reasons (Silly phone)! Fortunately, a family came to the rescue I borrowed both an Android and IOS device both worked flawlessly. Function control easy enough press the centre button once to pause, press once again to resume play, press twice to skip the track, press three times to go back. Easy enough, volume controls work great although the mic unit felt a bit cheap but the earphones are cheap so I'll stop my complaining. Phone calls were clear and cut out a little unwarranted background noise enough to ensure a clear phone call without any glaring issues.

Sound quality

As usual if you're reading this review or if I was reading this review this is usually the first part that a skip to. So let's get into the meat of this, no offence to any vegetarians I tried it once but that's a different story entirely.

Listening with the Jive earphones has been an absolute pleasure, sure they're not going to be class leading sound but I mean take a look at the price!! For goodness sake these things are brilliant for what you're paying for. They have a general bass tilt and the overtone is fun focused but keeping detailing and clarity to create a really immersive and musical sound.
 
Treble

The highs before burning were a tad bit sharp but since receive in the units and giving them about 20 hours they've calmed down a bit. Let there be no misunderstanding when I say sharp I don't mean harsh or screechy. The best way I could possibly visualise it would to be describing a drummer at a young age hitting pots and pans with a wooden spoon, he has since progressed with time and his parents have bought him an actual drum stick now to hit the little drum kit they bought him including cymbals. (A choice they don’t regret because it’s still better than pots and pans!). You get a splash of the symbol here and there and enough detail to satisfy most. Intrinsically whisked away into a world of finite detail you will not be, in fact I think I hold the Delta a grade above these but didn't enjoy them nearly as much even though I'm in favour of a more balanced and airy sound. Swept off your feet by the overall musicality most likely you will be, unless you don't like cheesy complements. I think the Jive has some good pickup lines like on a scale of 1 to 10 you’re a 9 and I'm the 1 you need. Feel free to use that one, but aside from the funny cheese the Jive really likes to flatter you and get you feeling you've not been left out of the party, whilst not the most intelligent creature he knows enough about things to keep you interested and informed enough to hold a delightful conversation.
 
Midrange

Ah well you can imagine what's about to come I've mentioned and alluded to the bass and initially sharp treble, we all know what this means! Just say it they are V shaped aren't they! Nope sorry to disappoint you they aren't, I said the treble calmed down and began to grow some maturity with the help of family and time so how do I describe them? Mixed bag, vocals come through smooth whilst neither really forward or recessed there is a really nice emphasis when pop songs come on that have you forgetting about the flaws for long enough that you might even believe the Jive is a little wise. In there lies the key though. Little whilst I enjoy the vocals the Jive produce there is a trade-off for this buttery smoothness. Space, ambience and detail when listening to some very well-known songs I began to tell I am missing some detail that isn't pronounced due to the slightly overshadowing bass and unrefined treble, this tends to be towards the high end of the midrange and isn't a huge deal breaker but it's there. I didn’t really know what to expect though you couldn't compare this to something too high market because that's not what they're about! For anyone who is looking for a consumer friendly sound without sacrificing hardly anything this pair of earphones might well be worth a look. 
 
Bass

The Uish shaped signature aside the bass is a plump outgoing character whilst a little wild remains controlled enough to let you enjoy your evening. The bass doesn't extend into the deepest regions but then again I wouldn't have expected it to, depending on the track and listener’s preference you might be quite surprised at how the mid bass performs and bass in general. There is a certain rumble that comes into adding to the treble creating a warmer more pleasant tone, life is easy going with the Jive and you'll survive as long as you don't put on something too bass heavy and crank up the volume. Not perfect but I enjoy the quality and quantity these offer which is just fabulous for the price.
 
Soundstage and Imaging

Soundstage actually exists on these not like cheaper earphones I have tried before, there is actually something going on here. Spatial cues are scattered around your brain remaining fairly close but as soon as a song has room to breathe you'll hear guitar strings in the distance and an airiness I have yet to really fault at this level. It must be noted though due to the slight mid-range dip in detail you’ll lose some of what could be considered great imagining. Don’t get me wrong it's there and heard, if you listen out for it, but I'd like it to be more pronounced and it would turn an otherwise really good pair of earphones into something a touch great.

Conclusion 

Should I buy these honestly if I was out for a budget pair of earphones and needed a mic I'd have no regrets in making this purchase. Yes, the sound isn't exactly audiophile 1000% but damn it's fun smooth and resolving enough to keep me listening for ages. Heck I've even picked this up over some of my other earphones just because I felt like it. Really great synergy with the M2 which was mainly the source I used for the purpose of this review thanks to AR.

As always any questions or comments please feel free to leave them below and thanks for reading! 

Disclaimer
 
Before I start this review I just want to thank Pandora from Brainwavz for approaching me to review the newest edition of their Bluetooth earphones in trade for my honest opinion, meet the BLU-200. 
 
History
 
So without wasting too much time here a little background about me, I started my audiophile addiction about 4 years ago and as we all know the urge to splurge out more and more money for that 1% increase in sound quality forever increases. I have heard of Brainwavz Audio and dabbled a little with the Delta model nothing to write home about but fairly impressive in terms of price performance. If I ever wrote anything about Brainwavz Audio, it would be they care about keeping costs down without sacrificing too much sound. My biggest interest to be produced by the company happened to be their R3 earphone, something I haven’t had the pleasure to listen to yet but probably will one day. So that’s that we are all caught up let us get into this review already! 
 
The concept, the reason
 
Well as many of us audio fans know there will probably never be a full replacement for hard wired earphones when it comes to sound. Well what about the pain staking niggles that come with hard wired sets, I’m talking about portability ease of use and general convenience. Whilst I hardly ever workout anymore, thus the pot belly, I do enjoy a light jog now and then and when manual work is required I tend to stick my earphones in. Unfortunately, there has been many a time where I’ve caught the wire and snagged my earphones from my ears and it is more than frustrating, especially when you in the middle of a good jog or work flow. I honestly could talk about the irritation and red fog that appears over me for days but I shan’t. 
 
Instead I want to discuss the solution for this pain staking mishap. Enter in Bluetooth earphones, less wires, more portability and with a damn good fit no fiddling about when you are on a jog or working. Heck the BLU-200 even allow you pause, play and adjust volume without pulling your device out. It’s not perfect but we will get to that bit later. 
 
These earphones clearly designed more for the on the go listener gym junkies please apply here!
 
Inside the box.
 

 
Accessories:
 
Earphone Hardcase (Just beautiful imo I’d prefer to use this hard case over many of the supplied pouches that have come with my earphones prior to this.) 
Here are some glamour shots of this beauty, black with accents of red and a neat little pouch to carry around extra tips and enough space to fit your earphones and charging wire, neat!
 
 
 
You will also get;
3 sets of Silicone Ear Tips (S M L), 1 set of Comply™ Foam Tips S-400, 1 pair of Ear Hooks, 1 Micro USB Charging Cable, Velcro Cable Tie (which comes in very handy I might add), an instruction Manual and a 24-month Warranty Card.
 
 
 
Specifications 
 
Transducers/Drivers: Dynamic, 9.2mm
Rated Impedance: 16ohms Closed Dynamic
Sensitivity: 96dB at 1mW
Frequency range: 20 ~ 20000Hz
Bluetooth 4.0 (CSRBC8645) with aptX
Operation max distance: 30ft (10m)
Battery: 60mAh - 4hrs playtime, 100hrs standby, 2hrs for full charge (Micro USB charging)
CVC echo and noise cancellation
Supports voice prompt for MMI: Power on / Paring / Connecting / Battery low / Power off
Supports HFP, HSP and A2DP
Supports pairing with two devices at the same time
3 button remote, works with Apple iOS products, Android & Windows phones & PC
 
Build Quality, Design and Fit 
 
The first thing that came to mind when I looked at these was oh my gosh I am sticking a mini coke bottle inside my ear! Thankfully due to the ergonomic design of the earphone, despite the rather large housing, they fit flush within my ear canal and are rather secure I might add. You will have an arrayish of tips to make sure you can get a good fit. If all else fails try the comply, I didn’t end up needing them in the end as the provide stock silicon ear tips did the trick just fine.
 
The BLU-200 is jackless that’s right I said it, no jack. Poor jack, joking aside there is a short flat cable that connects from the right driver to the left. There is an inline remote and mic and Bluetooth control unit which allows you to power up the earphones, connect them to your device of choice, press play, pause, track selection, voice dialing, answering and rejecting phone calls, even a last number redialing option and of course the ability to adjust the volume. The design in itself give a lot of freedom and stops that messy tangling you sometimes get from hardwired earphones. There is a strain relief that is wrapped around the earphones themselves giving a sleek appearance and confidence to boot that these will hold up even if snagged a few times. 
 
The BLU-200 is a little on the large side and as I mentioned look kind of like mini Coke bottles, yes they do stick out a bit however, there is some neat gear inside such as, the USB charging port and battery under rubber flap marked clearly for charging. It houses a micro 60mAh battery that will deliver 4 hours of continuous audio playback, 100 hours of standby and can be fully charged in under 2hrs. With a range of 30ft (10m), you can comfortably be away from your audio source with no disruption to audio quality or performance.
 
Personal usage
 
Pairing was easy as pie just press and hold the play/pause button for about 3 seconds to power up and if you are pairing a new device keep it held down 5 seconds to boot up into its pairing mode. A tiny LED light at the top of the inline starts blinking and you should see it on your phone. Pairing doesn’t require a pass code so just select it from your pairing list and get them matched up. When you connect you will get a seductive(kidding) robot style female voice stating the following “power on” and “connecting” to authenticate the connection. That's it, bam Bob is now your uncle and all is good with the world. 
 
In terms of connectivity and signal strength I was able to get a solid connection up to about 7m when walking around my house so take from that what you will. Also as pictured below if you are a lucky apple user if you scroll down on your screen you will be able to view the battery life of your phone and earphones, which is quite handy also worth mentioning these don't really chew up any extra battery at all maybe an extra 3% an hour in normal use. 
 

 
Sound Quality 
 
Usually this is the part I like to throw in some emotion unfortunately it's difficult to do this with such an earphone. It's not that these sound terrible at all in fact the best I've heard from an earphone in the Bluetooth range but.... I wouldn't ever be convinced that this would replace my hard wired sets regardless of convenience. Anyways without further ado let's break the sound down from these puppies! 
 
Highs 
 
Still trying to find the words to put in this section mainly because it's a section I know is there but is being overshadowed by a bloated mid bass! When there is a chance for a vocal to pop or a symbol to shine they will only raise their shiny metallic voice when you are indulging in a track without a meaty type of musicality or banging bass line. I've almost concluded I could only listen with these for a certain amount of time as they lack too much refinement and are either overshadowed or too sharp. This isn't the earphones strong point but hey it's not all bad there is a sufficient amount of detail there to not have you feeling like you've been left out of the loop entirely.  
 
Before I move on to the next section of sound I will elaborate a bit the highs on the BLU-200. They hold a really light tinge that leaves them sounding thin and very dry, please don't be put off by this believe me I've listened to worse but it's hard coming down from steps above like the Delta or R2Pro but then look at the price difference and the hardwire design plays a big part in this. Anyways moving on...
 
Midrange 
 
Anorexia, perhaps my ears are just too used to being spoiled by lush enveloping vocals and seductive levels of refinement. Well there is actually an upside to this V shape sound signature and that come with space I'll talk about that later in the soundstage section. So more on the midrange..... Well let's take a clinical look at this by picking a few adjectives! Sibilant, withdrawn, hard- working, unskilled but surgical. Now this might sound like I am being harsh and I am but please do not take this lightly when I say this, these still kick out musicality regardless of the critique I am giving them. 
 
Bass
 
Hello big boy! Ooo okay well if you like hitting the gym hard with a bit of Hip Hop or Rock this is the time for the BLU-200 to shine. I am not saying these do bass maturely but hell they do produce a juicy amount, yes it bleeds, yes it could be moved a little further south and diverted away from the midrange but hey I am not complaining here. The BLU-200 bass is dominant but does have some good extension, you end up with this quite full sound that actually handles complexity quite well. For its intended use this is one area I wouldn’t be quite to jump the gun and say change it now. 
 
Soundstage 
 
Okay so the review is starting to lighten up a bit I did say these weren’t bad not my cup of tea but hey I’m not here to like everything I hear. Well despite these not being created for a discerning audiophile’s ear there is still an airiness about these earphones that are quite good indeed. There is room to breathe and you will hear a respectable amount of detail and separation. Instruments from left to right are easily enough discernable and with that V shaped signature there is space enough for detailing and spatial cues to pan themselves out quite nicely. I do apologize for not writing more here but I am at a lack for words these are some great earphones in terms of what they were built for so I hope you have stuck with me this far.   
 
Bonus points
 
There are a lot of redeeming factors to consider when thinking about these earphones though! One be the price, secondly is the comfort fit and the functionality that you get with the earphones not to mention that bad ass case. Possibility one of the few earphones I would still pick up regardless of its shortcomings I’d still take them on a jog with me for sheer convenience alone. With some heavy beats and a sweaty workout or tedious work load these earphones do kick some serious ass for the price. 
 
Conclusion and improvements
 
The BLU-200 is and was designed for exactly what it does, is it going to please the diehard audiophile fan no, but it will satisfy those in hunt of a damn good Bluetooth set of earphone for a great price. The bass response and soundstage alone is enough to make up for that lack of refinement and slightly sharp sound and at the end of the day that’s really what you need when you are blasting your body pushing it through its paces and just need some good vibes to carry you through. For $54.50 you get a lot for your money a concrete performance and almost unbeatable at this price point. I haven’t heard another Bluetooth set of earphones this good I know that doesn’t speak volumes because I’ve only tried a few some branded some unbranded but the point is these are a damn good shot if you are in need of a set of solid Bluetooth earphones.
 
I would love to see a hybrid design with a little refinement, more forward midrange and maybe even detachable cables as an upgrade option for those who’d be willing to spend a little more and squeeze out a little more performance. Who knows maybe a BLU-300 could offer such genius? I’d be happy to purchase these myself despite the harshness I have written about with the midrange and treble. Good job Brainwavz is all I have to say and I look forward to an even more impressive set next time!  

Disclaimer
 
Firstly, I would like to thank Tony at HiFiHeadphones for this review sample and setting up the review tour, in trade for honest opinions and impressions. 
 
Introduction
 
So without spoiling too much, what is the A65 all about well it’s one of Fidue’s mid-tier earphones that I can only assume was made to desecrate any earphone at this price point and even many above it, The A65’s uses a micro dynamic titanium driver, rare for a headphone of this type but becoming more and more popular. There are a few draw backs, barely, but we will get to that a little later. 
My initial impressions were these sound pretty good, all I can say is keep reading because these things are something spectacular.
 
Unboxing/packaging
 
You might hear me bang on about the bang for buck these earphones offer but that doesn't mean they skimp too much on presentation.The earphones come in a rather plain yet quaint box, typically upon opening the box you see the beauty creep out. A nice faux black sued encases the earphones, included accessories are 3 pairs of small, medium and large silicone tips, 1 pair of double-flange tips and a soft carrying pouch as pictured below. I've tried to not spend too much time on this sections so I hope the pictures will write the words for me.
 

Design/comfort 
 
There is no shame in having a crush alright so don’t judge me when I say it was love at first sight! Honestly though I find it hard for anyone not to enjoy the textured, creative raw yet refined appeal the A65 offer. They remind me a reinvented DN-2000 smaller tighter and lighter.  The outer case for the earphones are wrapped in a brushed copper finish with the housing taking on the form of a very handsome pyramid. As you can see a lot of thought and effort was put into the small touches looking at the little logo on the back and the ever so slightly rounded nibs that hold your ear tips on. They say the little things matter and I must agree.
 
The cable is a little less luxury but once used for a bit went from a stiffed neck partner to someone who was quite agreeable. It actually reminds me of a coated version cable that was on the GR07 BE, so underneath the brown hue is a candy cane, barber shop, red and white swirled design. Why this choice I have no idea? Honestly whack on an extra £10 and give me a removable one I would be quite happy. 
 
Comfort wasn’t too bad with the supplied silicon ear tips that accompanied the earphones however comfort was greatly improved when I slid on some of my own foamies. Love me some foamies just
not Comply, never Comply, I kid they’re great but I hope one day all the slight digs people take at them will sink in and the revise the durability. Anyway petty issues aside the A65 fit great once you get a good seal they just manage to hit a sweet spot allowing you be able to wear them for hours upon end which I have done.

Mic Function
 
Although I don’t use my iPhone much for music anymore on the off chance I do it’s always useful to have a pair of high quality earphones with a mic. I’m glad Fidue included one and it’s not a surprise they didn’t skimp on quality here. The mic is encased in a ridged meatal fascia and the only thing letting it down is that slightly cheap looking plastic that joins end to end together.
Call quality is absolutely fine no snaps, crackles or pops. All the calls I made using the A65’s came across clear and gave me great feedback allowing me to hear the other person on the other end of the phone, always a bonus… In most cases. The mic has a singular button control press once to play a track, once to stop and once to end a call, simples. 
 
Sound Quality
Time to break it all down I’ve summarized my main points below to really sum up my feelings about the A65 so feel free to skip ahead if you want a tidy version of what I am about to say. 
 
Highs
 
Say hi highs, “Hi” they shout back with youthful exuberance in heart full of the joys of spring announcing detail upon detail without ever getting snippy. There is a slight peak on lower quality recordings but easily forgivable as the titanium driver is pushing out a great amount of detail for a single dynamic. Have I heard a more detailed monitor of course but bear in mind the cost of these sweet angelic little gems.  Air allows each instrument its place and the balance is stuck just so the A65 haven’t really gone overboard with anything here and I love it. As contrast as it is to say the highs are almost presented with a smooth brightness, if you didn’t think that was possible try them out. 
 
Mid-range
 
Well now I have had a small debate here with a family member who tried these and summed up we agreed these are just amazing when there amazing and okay when there not. Well whatever do you mean sir? Hum don’t quite know myself to be truthful. Not every recording shows off the stunning, inviting, open, almost liquid like, upfront mid-range these earphones are capable of. Nevertheless, I must state for the record when you hit a spot of music that’s recorded well you will be missing no thing, I almost didn’t see it coming when I started listening to some electronic music the transient passage of the song came all of a sudden swept me off my feet and evaporated as quick as it came. I then moved on to trying some vocal tracks and there is was with a little encouragement these blew the dust off some music I haven’t enjoyed in a good long while. Me the M2 and A65 lost hours of sleep as I laid awake at 2am just revisiting music I know oh so well with the generous space and emotion the A65 brought to the table.  
 
Lows
 
Improvements made over the likes of their flagship model imo. The A83 had me a bit puzzled when I first heard it was like a bloated mid bass of fury things did settle down but the A65 is much more up my street. Balance, now whilst I feel there is some slight mid-range recession on some tracks which almost forces my hand to use the expression V-shaped there is no denying Fidue went after a balance here. Lows are presented with authority but nothing of a Head Teacher more a Substitute Teacher who came in one day but is not the type you feel like making fun of. Mid bass is ahead of the sub bass which is fine as it keeps the sound light and breezy, although as much as I am enjoying the sound overall, tuning the nether regions a bit more for a deeper slightly more textured bass would be adding the crème de la crème.
 
Soundstage and Imaging
 
Oh gosh as the A65 open up which they will do more and more with burn in you will come to realize just how much a mid-tier earphone is capable of. The soundstage is certainly larger than average and there is a beautiful sense of air which brings a holographic feel to the imaging. Instruments have enough separation to be classed as above average, sure it isn’t incredibly distinct but you can pick out heaps of detail when you look into her. I must say bar a few issues with layering and instruments diffusing there is a spectacular sense of imaging here. 
 
Conclusion
 
From the iconic looks, with its brushed copper triangular design to the marmite cable and mic making no compromise to sound performance vs price, there is no getting around that these are a fantastic entertaining pair of earphones that deserve nothing but appraisal. 
 
In all my experience of budget or low mid-tier price ranged earphones these are the best I've heard by a far margin. The sound field is 3D holographic and actually accurate. Bass is tight enough and hardly ever bleeds into the midrange never smears an ounce of detail. Clarity of this caliber is almost unheard of at this price point. Sure there are issues with poor recordings you get a little treble spike but it's more dependent on your source and recording. Tuned beautifully, usually I prefer a more upfront mid-range yet even with the slightly more V shaped response the A65 still push out tantalizing vocals with an addictive bite that just sweetens certain music genres and tracks. Treble peaks on this can be bothersome but I feel no reason to complain about it the titanium driver is clearly doing more than I've seen before at this price point so don't expect the level of refinement you get from a pair of high end CIEM but don’t expect these to fall too short of your expectations, even if they’re high. 

 
Disclaimer
 
Before getting started I would just like to thank Arcam and Robert for this review sample in exchange for my honest impressions and opinion.
 
What is it?
 
Since the first release of a multi functioning music player/phone and smart phone there has been an increase in the demand for on the go music that sounds great just out of your phone. Now whilst a lot has been done to significantly increase sound quality in mobile devices a lot of the budget is also spent on the phone functioning as a brilliant piece of machinery. Cut backs can often leave areas such as sound quality and battery life as secondary options. Now whilst most smart phones today don’t sound terrible and technology is allowing for advancements in extended battery life, it’s still a challenge fitting all of this in.
 
Enter the Arcam MusicBOOST the MusicBOOST is a soft sleeve battery back, DAC and headphone amplifier created with better sound quality, output power, battery life and convenience in mind. Designed specifically for the iPhone 6 and 6S, for some this may be annoying, due to lack of versatility, but for an avid iPhone user such as myself it offers a near perfect solution as there is no need for messy bands, extra wires or a risk of running your battery flat within the hour. Now I don’t actually believe the current iPhone range sounds bad at all, but certainly there is always going to be room for improvement and extended battery life is always welcome in my opinion. The MusicBOOST is a great solution to a few problems, I wish it offered some more solutions, but I will get into that later.
 
Technology and Specs
 
So what goes into the design of the Arcam to make it an upgrade in sound quality and what does it claim to do? Below is a list of some of the technology that is inside including the DAC chip, claimed expectancy and general information uploaded from Arcam’s product information page.
 

1. Fully recharges the iPhone 6/6S battery with up to 120% extra battery life
2. 2800mAh Capacity battery
3. High precision DAC (Texas Instruments PCM1502) with dedicated headphone amplifier for high quality sound
4. Soft touch sleeve to help protect your iPhone 6

 
One of the other benefits of using the Arcam as a DAC, other than an upgrade in sound, means you are no longer restricted to playing just 16 bit music which is all the iPhone 6 and 6S are currently able to process. With 24 bit music now accessible through apps like Onkyo HF Player in partnership with capable DAC’s such as the MusicBOOST you essentially have the ability to turn your iPhone into a portable not too bulky high resolution player.
 
Packaging and Inside the Box
 
Uninspired packaging but for a £120 RRP I really would be too complainant about it. You pretty much get the MusicBOOST itself, a Micro USB charging cable all packaged in grade A foam protection and a little note just thanking and confirming your product purchase and how to register it so they can keep you posted with any up dates. An actual USB wall adapter would have been a nice accessory to have but most of us nowadays have one lying about anyway.
 
Here are a couple pictures below displaying the unit itself and the packaging:
(My apologies as there really isn’t anything fancy to showcase here)


Functionality and Feel
 
We’ve already explored what this thing is so in order not to repeat myself too much I will add on some of the improvements I feel could have been made.
 
Firstly, the moment you touch this thing you’ll probably want to stroke it as it has this really soft texture to it, yes it’s plastic but it uses a special kind of coating which is just oh so nice to touch! Before I get carried away and end up rewriting 50 shades of Grey between me and this case I’ll move on.
 
The case design actually doesn’t add too much weight to the phone in fact some might find it an added bonus as the raw iPhone 6 feels a little too light and prone to falling out of ones hand if not careful. The case weighs exactly 100g which isn’t a lot of added bulk and factoring in the iPhone 6 gives a total of 229g or 243g if you’re using the 6S. All in all not too much weight, not the lightest solution in the world but certainly manageable and lighter than carrying around a three stack system!
 
Practically speaking this is quite a realistic solution. The device is pretty much plug and play slide your iPhone into the case, plug in your earphones, headphone or speaker system in and you're good to go. Once you do four white light indicators will flash to let you know how much battery is left on the device. Four full white lights means it’s fully three is getting lower and so forth.  To activate the charging part of the unit simply press the power button located on the left, to check the battery percentage on the device just press the button on the right and the white light indicators will pop up.
 
Practical tests and results
 
Now for this section I am leaving out sound quality and focusing more on the millage I have experienced with it personally. Firstly this may not be a power house of a battery pack but it holds up a lot better than the ifuzen hp-1 which was created for the iPhone 4 and 4s.
 
With a 100% on my iPhone and 100% battery on the MusicBOOST after a full day of listening to music so I’m talking a good 18 hours and using the phone practically as I usually do. I was left with a dead battery pack and about 78% battery on my iPhone which considering the way I abuse my iPhone it usually takes two full charges to last the day. (Could be my battery?) In any case I was overjoyed to have over 50% left on my iPhone so I’d say it was a very good result.
 
Charging time for the MusicBOOST unit alone is about 2.5 hours till full from empty so pretty fast. If you wish to keep it plugged in and charge your phone and the MusicBOOST at the same time you can, but you’re looking at a substantially longer charging time.
 
I will include and update about output power here if and when I get the chance all I will say is do not expect a big boost in output power maybe about 10-20% tops but not enough to drive power hungry cans with real authority I would have thought.
 
Sound Quality
 
Right the bit most of us lazy people skip to when we just want to know if the audio upgrade claims are true. So without further ado I present to you the Arcam MusicBOOST’s sound quality breakdown.
I will start off with what will seem like a disappointment to a lot of people looking to purchase this device. The sound signature might just upset a few people I am not saying the MusicBOOST sounds bad or worse in comparison to the iPhone 6’s HO. But one of the first things you’ll notice is the distinct difference in presentation.
 
Presentation
 
Meaty, dark a little lush but deep, not bottomless but weighty. Think of the iPhone 6 HO as white room decorated in a minimalist way, with a slightly spacious feel but a vivid voice of thinly lined detail.
 
The Arcam on the other hand is one of those cozy, homely sit on that beautifully fabricated sofa, watch T.V by the fire kind of deals. I could immediately sense the difference when plugging in my earphones, ironically enough earphones that are closer to a warmer sound signature play nicer with the Arcam rather than something with a slightly brighter sound such as the Dunu 2000. Still will be a substantial upgrade for some and after a week with this thing I haven’t gone back to using my iPhone!
 
It’s always a little harder giving someone accurate impressions of the sound spectrum when it comes to the general tone and effect each DAC or Headphone amplifier has on the sound, synergy accounts for a lot and everyone’s mileage will vary. But here goes, the earphones I’ve used are the following; Dunu 2000, R2Pro, Atomic Floyd Super darts and Trinity Audios Techne. (I’ll make updates when I have more time and gear)
 
Treble
 
Here may be what some will consider the Arcam’s biggest pit fall. For me even after finding good synergy with my Techne’s there seems to be a touch more smoothness a perceived loss of micro details in the treble vs the iPhone’s HO. This isn’t actually the case, especially after burn in, but everything is just a bit more reserved, relaxed and sounds warmer. This is typically Arcam’s house sound, I’m still unsure of whether I like it overall yes, but the treble lacks that extra bit of air and space I find myself leaning toward more and more these days.
 
There is still a natural overtone to the treble. Ticks, clicks and guitars come across with a bit more weight but aren’t in your face anymore and tend to be a bit more closed in vs the iPhones HO. Still there is a lot to be admired here as getting that buttery texture right without losing detail can be a tricky thing indeed. But I would say the Arcam MusicBOOST has got this just about right.
 
Midrange
 
A little more of a complex deal here, don’t know why but hybrid iems such as the Dunu 2000 and Superdarts tend to pick up a kind of vocal rescission here. Dynamic drivers such as the R2Pro and and Techne fare much better with Arcam’s house sound here. It’s a little more surprising as when I plugged in my Techne’s they immediately shot to life, vocals came across lush and deep it is such an oh so pleasant sound to listen to.
 
There is a syrup like texture to the music now for some it may be sickly sweet and for others this is exactly what they will be looking for. I almost like the idea, but don’t necessarily like it because there aren’t many devices that offer the same this functional solution and have a less coloured sound might have tempted a few more buyers and kept things on a level playing field.
 
However, after saying all that there is enough right here not to criticise and there are some nice improvements such as the smoother more refined midrange the MusicBOOST offers.
 
Bass
 
Deeper! If you ever wanted more flavour and depth the MusicBOOST will offer this in style. There is a distinct thump and weight added to the sound when anything is plugged into this device. Honestly this is where I really feel the Arcam’s sound signature pulls ahead and shows its true character, whilst still relaxed and melodic there is a plump bump in both the sub bass and slight less aggressive mid bass emphasis. It sounds like a bit of quality almost a really mature refined smooth whiskey, very smooth and melty but hits deep.
 
For those who think the bass is a little too mid centric on the iPhone and would like a little more extension and refinement the MusicBOOST does this part very well. Because of that nice syrupy overtone you really get such a nice amount of body out of the sound, especially when paired with the right earphone or headphone.
 
 
Soundstage and imaging
 
Differences, differences. Pretty much how I would like to sum it all up but wouldn’t be fair on anyone reading this. Let’s take a step back again when looking at the presentation I have already mentioned that cozier kind of sound. Now what usually happens with this type of presentation is you lose air, this is true of the MusicBOOST, however not all hope is lost, yes the soundstage shrinks a bit in width but it actually gains a bit more depth.
 
There is a good sense of 3D imaging that takes place but it’s a tough call to know whether or not people will like this over the iPhone 6’s HO. I think some certainly will there is a more of an intimate presentation with the Arcam vs the iPhone whatever it sacrifices it makes up for in other ways. I wished for a more holographic presentation here but considering this thing cost £120 I am not about to start complaining. Imagining remains very similar to the iPhone’s HO with a less airy presentation but much more depth things are becoming more 3D rather than linear. I know I keep going back to that word deeper again but it’s all I can think of when describing these changes. It’s a lovely warm image but won’t suit every ones need.
 
Just as a very brief side note after burn in things have started to open up a lot more so I’ll change this section if needed.
 
 
Improvements
 
As I get started on this section I will mention as a disclaimer some of the improvements I would like to see aren’t necessarily needed but would be a nice touch to really turn this product into more of a swish army knife.
 
Broken down shortly and sweetly is a bullet pointed list of some improvements I feel could have been made and why;

1. Bigger battery, yes the MusicBOOST actually does do pretty damn well here but like anything today bigger is always better. I enjoy the extra music time/battery life I get listening and charging my iPhone out of the MusicBOOST but I’m just being extremely critical in wanted even more!
2. More power, yep okay this one is decidedly more of an issue especially when you consider this thing is a headphone amp and DAC combo. Now I wouldn’t be unrealistic in expecting this thing to drive really power hungry cans with authority but certainly having a real noticeable improvement over the iPhones power really would have been nice. It has probably got enough power for your basic line of headphones but when you start stepping into something a bit more demanding the power boost would have been a nice feature, maybe a variably gain option like on the i.Fuzen-hp1.
3. Now you should be able to see from the picture below that there is rectangle shaped piece with holes poked out to allow sound out of the iPhone’s speaker. A thought occurred to me and whilst I know in some aspects it would have probably been a waste of time as Arcam were focusing on sound quality. But I can’t help but think an added speaker would have sweetened the deal. I mean it just looks like there should be one there one anyway and having an audible boost to the iPhone’s speaker would have been a real welcome improvement. Ironically it kind of suggests that it would through its given name the MusicBOOST.

         

1. Line out? Not sure if this is really needed as if your buying this you're probably looking at portability and unlikely to want to add more weight by adding another amp as this would defeat the object. Still when plugging the MusicBOOST to my Harman Kardon Soundsticks there was a really clean weighty sound that really added to the musicality of my humble setup.
2. Talking about clean and weighty one thing I would have liked to have heard of a bit more from the Arcam’s presentation is an airy more detailed sound. I actually really like the sound that is presented from this convenient package but having something a little more open sounding maybe not necessarily more balanced but something with a bit more space as for some earphones like my Dunu 2000’s I actually prefer the iPhone’s HO. Personal preference and synergy will help out a lot massively here but still one of my personal recommendations if there is a future unit.

Conclusion
 
If you managed to stick with me this far you’ll know I have been both pleasantly surprised by the MusicBOOST left wanting a hair more here and there. But bottom line is if you want a battery pack that sounds different/better than your iPhone adds protection, feels sexy as hell and offers it all in a tidy affordable package go for it!
 
Okay the presentation for your setup might not be your cup of tea, so I suppose it’s a bit of a hit and miss there but if there are any headphones or earphones you’d like to know about and how they fare with the MusicBOOST leave a comment and I’ll try get my hands on a pair if only briefly to let you know how well they pair. Hope you guys have enjoyed this review and as always any question feel free to ask. 

Disclaimer
This unit was bought at my expense for the purpose of review. So firstly I would like to thank me for this review sample. I kid, but seriously glad I made the purchase for a few of the reasons I will go on to explain. 
 
Equipment used
 
For the purpose of this review I used my beautiful AR-M2 with a wide array of music, also my iPhone 6 which partnered fairly well with the Primo 8. Whilst the Primo 8 requires no really amping to reach very content listenable volumes the added output power and weight of the AR-M2 really gave the Primo a push in the right direction to accentuate all of its best features and qualities.
 
Introduction
 
So if there is one thing about this hobby I love it’s just the way sound and the way you perceive it can all change at a moment when you hear something new. I’ve had this experience with headphones and earphones alike. However, the Primo 8 certainly got my blood racing and head hurting as I was figuring out this whole new presentation. I will expand on the sound signature and each component a little more, but to give you a flavour of what these are all about I’ve added a little teaser section. 
 
Teaser
 
Since trying out a fair few variations of earphones I’ve got quite used to a diverse variety of presentations, when first listening to the Primo 8 I knew there was something different. I still can’t decide today whether or not it’s a good thing or a bad thing possibly both or, maybe more of a marmite kind of deal here. Let me just state it isn’t because these sound bad just different, special, unique and individual in its own right. Okay synonyms aside let us get down to business. 
 
What to expect when listening to these exclusively distinct earphones is a light airy presentation full of space. A midrange that is dependent on a good recording but has the ability to sound oh so suburb like liquid silk running through your soul. The bass line is quick but has a nice amount of rumble on bass heavy tracks it lacks body but on acoustic and orchestral pieces just sounds ridiculously organic and natural. The highs are marvellous maybe one of the best representations I've heard so far, strings come across just as you were listening to the artist playing for you live in front of you, detailing can be a new experience I won't claim you will hear details you haven't heard before, you might, but you will certainly may hear them more vividly and clearly then you may have before. 
 
Technology
 
The Primo 8 uses a quad balanced armature design, with two drivers working together for the bass frequencies, and single balanced armature drivers for the midrange and treble. Not unlike many high end multi BA driver earphones the Primo 8 uses a crossover which is basically an EQ filter designed to mitigate the frequencies not allowed through a particular speaker. The frequency range that is allowed to pass is called the passbands.
 
Any crossover with poor implementation usually leads to a lesser sound and sometimes frequency drop out. Whereas a well implement and well thought through design will lead to a fluid seamless sound resulting in natural decay and layering, a poor crossover will tell your brain where a mid-range driver cuts off and where that tweeter picks it up.
It can kill the fluidity of the sound, making things translate as artificial and un-natural. The Primo 8 NuForce decided to use a first-order filter. “This type of filter is preferred in the recording industry for mixing and mastering as it reduces the ripple effect in the passbands providing for a less grainy, more natural sound. NuForce's crossover approach, what they call their "Linear Phase Crossover" network, is also patent-pending.
  
Thankfully for us, NuForce got it right. There is a magnificent continuity in the low-end, something much more akin to a three-way speaker system rather than a four-way design. The music sounds wonderfully fluid, more natural, which is key in any speaker system: headphone or loudspeaker.

The Primo 8 is a quad balanced armature design, with two drivers working in tandem for the bass frequencies, and single balanced armature drivers for the mids and highs. While this is intuitively easy to understand, it's also devilishly tricky to get right... especially with regards to the crossover network that is used. A crossover is an EQ filter designed to attenuate the frequencies not allowed through a particular speaker. The frequency range that is allowed to pass is called the passbands. A poorly designed crossover leads to graininess and sometimes frequency drop out. As opposed to a wall of sound, or sounds having natural decay and layering, a poor crossover will tell your brain where a mid-range driver cuts off and where that tweeter picks it up, etc. Your brain tells you immediately that it's not actual instruments and artists performing this music in front of you. It can kill the liquidity of the sound - making things translate as artificial. It sounds like poor hi-fi trickery, and un-natural.
In the Primo 8 NuForce decided to use a first-order Butterworth filter. This type of filter is preferred in the recording industry for mixing and mastering as it reduces the ripple effect in the passbands providing for a less grainy, more natural sound. NuForce's crossover approach, what they call their "Linear Phase Crossover" network, is also patent-pending.
 
Thankfully for us, NuForce got it right.
There is a magnificent continuity in the low-end, something much more akin to a three-way speaker system rather than a four-way design. The music sounds wonderfully fluid, more natural, which is key in any speaker system: headphone or loudspeaker.”
Source: http://www.audio360.org/iems_a0026_review_nuforce_primo_8.php
 

 
Design, Fit and Cable

Due to the highly detailed reviews already posted regarding this earphone I have decided to upload a few links to a more informative description of these earphones so as not to waste any space and time. I would like to say this is down to sheer laziness but I’ll just sugar coat it by saying everyone else has just done such a fantastic job.
 
Basically the design of the Nuforce Primo 8 holds true to the design of many multi BA earphones from offerings such as Westone and Shure. It’s an over ear design with memory glides to hold the earphones securely in place. These things area a really beauty to behold and I must admit I am extremely fond of the metallic blue colour choice Nuforce decide to go with on the Primo 8. There are some waves/ridges adding a subtle detail to a seemingly plain and fairly brilliant design, below are some pictures to add to the visual affect. 
 
The fit for myself I found extremely tricky to start with but this isn’t that uncommon, especially with earphones that seem to use, in my opinion, that tricky MMXC connector type. I don’t know why but I have yet to get on well with this design for a few reasons. One is the connection does seem to break on very rare occasions and with the added ear glide design can make for one pain in the ass to get the earphones to settle in, especially when you’re a user of glasses like myself. 
 
However, after a bit of fiddling and finding the right set of comply ear tips comfort became way less of an issue, still not perfect but stable enough to hold in place and manoeuvre around the house, but don’t go jogging they will fall out and cause frustration! 
 
Complaints aside I am thankful Nuforce decided to put some effort into the cable and quality of it. The cable consist of a Kevlar silk core, an inner layer of 7x silver wire and an outer layer of copper wire which is made up of 9 bundles of 7 insulated strands. So as you can see no expense was spared here to make this a completely durable cable and one of great sound quality. As a bonus you also get a fairly clumber sum microphone which works surprisingly well. I did try it on occasion with no issues, the microphone also doubles as a play and pause button when using it with compatible devices.  
 

 
Upgrade Cable
As Nathan mentioned in his brilliant review although a lot of thought and time has been spent on the cables audio reproduction and build quality. The fit will be tricky for some however, switch the cable out for something like the Lithum BaX cable and you’ll be set with one of possibly the comfiest iems on the market. 
 
Packaging
Okay so what are you getting should you decide to drop the £299 on these shiny blue gems? , Something of excitement and joy comes to mind from the premium box, well thought-out layout, vast array of accessories, and encapsulated display of the magnificent, awe capturing earphones really give the Primo 8’s packaging that sense of quality and luxury you would expect to experience and see. 
What's in the Box: 2 pairs of Comply Isolation foam ear tips (M, L), 8 pairs of silicone ear tips (S, M, L, XL), 51.2in (130cm) detachable cable with microphone, 3.5mm to 6.5mm adapter, Primo8 soft faux leather pouch, cleaning tool and microfiber cleaning cloth
Here are some pictures below:

 
Sound
Although this section will be a little tougher to describe I am going to go off the basis whatever I say about these earphones holds true generally overall because your milage will vary! From recordings,
ear tips to fit the sound becomes somewhat of an enigma. Swiftly moving on let's explorer that airy, detailed sound I started to tease you with in the start. 
 
Treble
 
Screw saving the best till last, let’s start with one of the best features you get from this earphone from the get go! Right, now on a poor recording or on an overly bassy track things will get masked a bit, a smear will occur detracting from some of that drool inducing timber and neutrality. 
 
Natural and organic are just two words I want to use so much with this earphone. When listening to “Sound of your voice” one of the soundtracks from “Courageous” (The Movie), strings and instruments just come across with such a timber and sparkle it’s almost unreal. But that is a choice of word I can’t use as the guitar strings just twinkle and mesmerize you with its own reality and truth. 
 
Air! My word talk about room to breathe if you ever needed a light spacious display you need to hear these for yourself! Honestly yes it can cause its own issues but overall the soft touch and presentation combined with the immersive soundstage just adds to the depth, sparkle and neutrality these earphones offer. 
 
I am in love with the treble of these earphones everything is so well presented there isn’t a slight hint of grain or too much warmth, or even a tinge of metallic texture just unadulterated brilliance. Smooth incredibly detailed treble is what this earphone brings to the table with just the right amount of weight to make everything sound oh so perfect.
 
Midrange
 
A few reviews have mentioned this section a lot and in all honesty I expected something so different when I heard these for myself now I will go on to describe my own experience with vocals and midrange in this section however there is a paragraph I read in another review which mirrors my own impressions so well there is almost no point in writing it myself so I am using it as a quote. 
 
“The mid-range however seemed a bit veiled, hanging around in the back of the mix, like it was quite possibly shy and didn't want to join the party. After a few days of listening the mid-range decided to join the fray, and like a dance floor after the drop, the party erupted.” Quote from: http://www.audio360.org/iems_a0026_review_nuforce_primo_8.php
 
(Also please check out their review as it’s offers more detail than the review I am writing, only due to time constraints) 
 
Now adding to this well-articulated analogy of the midrange I’d like to throw in some of my own impressions of how the midrange comes across after brain burn in and with the right track. Smooth, gorgeous, liquid and actually slightly forward. It’s almost too natural especially when listening to some acoustic recordings. What I mean by this is it’s almost like your sitting in the microphone as you hear the subtle details of the singer open their lips or strings as you breathe in this totally immersive sound. I love it, I wouldn’t say it’s been my favourite earphone for vocals but that is simply a preference thing as I prefer a more coloured syrupy type of sound. On the other hand I have discovered a whole new appreciation for vocals and the way they are reproduced which has lead me away from some of my typical conventions. 
 
I am going to miss this earphone when it’s gone but man when I look for my next big choice of earphone the presentation of this earphone will be used a reference. I can’t get over the space and spatial cues and organic sound this earphone offers. Truly as cliché as this sounds because the term has been so excessively used I’m tentative to say it, but still tempted, this may be one of the truest and closest representations of vocal reproduction I have ever heard in an earphone. 
 
Bass
 
Awkward, why? Because this area is so good and really one of the areas that stops me from making it my go to earphone and potentially settling with it for the rest of my life. The bass reproduction is accurate fast paced and actually not timid. 
 
Mid bass is present on tracks when it’s called for and there is even a deep sub bass rumble that really adds to the overall flavour of the sound. Unfortunately, I always ask myself where the body to the sound is, it doesn’t sound hollow or empty because you know it’s there but it lacks that fullness and meaty texture you expect and get used to with so many earphones. I don’t know if it’s the bass that is causing this or just how the earphones were created to sound but this is literally one of its biggest pit falls.
 
The bass rarely bleeds into the midrange and remains extremely clean, clear and tactile. But there is something about the sound which reminds me of the echo heard in in a great hall. You hear and feel the bass and it’s of great quality but the soul of it fails to add to the sound like it’s missing the part of the music that makes it complete. 
 
Sound stage and Imaging
 
Amazing what a new sound can do to your thinking. Absolutely love this hobby as you discover sound reproduction more and more just when you think you’ve sussed it all out. The soundstage is vast on these bad boys. If I could find an earphone that had the soundstage of these earphones added comfort more body and thicker vocals think I’d be sold for a good long while. (A cry out to anyone who has).
 
So with the Primo 8’s soundstage you get a hall like sound, spacious breathy, wide and fairly deep. Listening to well mastered tracks in DSD quality just add a whole new lease of life to the music. These earphones make the top 5 list of most competent earphones I’ve heard for soundstage perhaps not imaging but I’ll get to that.
 
I hope you’ve managed to get how spacious these things sound, with this also comes the spatial cues it throws out. Instruments decide to be played from wherever there positioned although I find sometimes because of its try hard attitude placement is slightly alluded. Most of the time everything is accurate but sometimes because these offer so much detail you end up feeling like too much is happening all, at once. 

Conclusion
Summarising these earphones won’t be a hard thing to do. Simply put they will be some audiophiles dream. Especially those lovers of classical, orchestral and acoustic pieces. Please try these out with the highest quality files you can and a warning for hip hop lovers don’t expect these to fulfil that full body sound hip hop usually requires. Fit can be tricky yes, but overall these will offer a unique sound a lot of purists will find extremely addictive so it’s almost worth the trade off if you can manage.
 
Honourable mentions:
http://www.digitaltrends.com/headphone-reviews/nuforce-primo-8-review/
http://www.audio360.org/iems_a0026_review_nuforce_primo_8.php
http://www.hifiplus.com/articles/nuforce-primo-8/

 
Firstly I just wanted to thank Simon and Adam at Pro-Ject for the review sample of the Head Box S USB. I am not affiliated with Pro-Ject in any way, all impressions are written as objectively as possible. That being said let’s get started.
 
Inside the box/Build quality
 
Well don’t expect anything too exciting here, the Head Box S USB comes in a rather plain white box and if we dive in a little further you will find the product itself encased in a brown box, which holds all the accessories. All, yes I said all. Damn it a man can’t help but feel a little let down, before getting into the reason your probably reading the review i.e. how does it sound, I just want to say I wished Pro-Ject had included a little more, you’re getting pretty much the bare essentials and that’s it.
 
 
The Head Box S USB is a tidy neat… well black box. It feels incredibly solid and holds a fair amount of weight to it. You have the big beautiful, smooth analogue knob for volume control and also all your inputs and outputs which are displayed and described a little further on. It’s quite hard describing how plain yet strikingly simple this thing is so…… They say pictures paint a thousand words, so here are a few below:
 


 
Moving on what you get is the following;
 

1. Power lead
2. Multiple power adaptor sockets 
3. USB lead
4. The Head Box S USB itself
5. Manual

 
What I’d like to see included;
 

1. ¼ inch adapter
2. Phono to jack lead at least one
3. RCA cables

 
I promise there is a reason why I’ve chosen to shine a light on this, what I can only assume was an accident, it is the fact the Head Box S USB is to be used as a desktop unit! The ¼ inch is forgivable and cheap to pick up, and I’m sure most audiophiles out there will have a quality Phono to jack but really to get full use of this thing straight out the box it’s almost a necessity to have these included. Because without them you’ve pretty much just got a black box that sounds good but you won’t know until you can try it!
 
Let’s explorer this a little more in the functionality section.
 
Functionality
 
Well one of the most obvious uses for this unit is the fact it’s a DAC! So one would assume you’d have a cable included so you can make use of it through the line out. But alas there isn’t so unless you have a phono cable you’re stuck to using this unit as a DAC/AMP combo running out of the ¼ inch headphone out.
 
Inputs: There are two ways of feeding music through this unit, one is its obvious use as a DAC/AMP by which you use a digital device of your choosing to channel music through the Head Box S USB. The second method is by utilising the amplifier section of the device by using a phono to jack cable meaning you may hook up a higher end DAC and take just take advantage of the amplifier section alone. (Which I might add is pretty damn good)
 
 
Outputs: Well unfortunately I haven’t been able to use the unit as a standalone DAC I did try following the manual which states “The Out RCA/phono sockets of the headphone amplifier can be connected to the input sockets of you recorder “. Maybe I missed something here but just couldn’t get any sort of output using the RCA Out on the unit.  A shame really because so far the unit has stood its ground with regards to sound quality.
 
I am pretty much out of my rant now so we can take a look into how the unit actually sounds.
 
Sound quality as DAC/AMP
 
Firstly I just want to describe a little about the sound of the unit as a whole for those using headphones or earphones with it. Most of my listening was done using the R2Pro earphones but I also used the Audio Technica ATH-50’s and tried the unit out with my Harman Kardon Soundsticks. All I will say is anyone with a decent Hi Fi system may want to take a look elsewhere but those looking to use this as a desktop amp for you headphones and/or earphones read on!
 
Secondly, as lazy as this may sound I decided not to add a section specifically when using this as an amp because the difference in sound quality between the DAC and using the Amplifier simply wasn’t all that different. Furthermore it will depend on the source you feed the amp to how it contributes to the sound. However, it is worth mentioning though to really take advantage of the amplifier make sure your input is set to its loudest setting, or else when you'll go to turn the volume up on the amplifier you will hear clicks, pops and cutting.  
 
Treble
 
Almost spot on, there is a sufficient amount of detailing that presents itself in the treble. I really dig the natural presentation, I have heard DAC/AMP combos before that have messed this part up a little by trying a little too hard. That doesn’t mean to say the Head Box S doesn’t try hard but its efforts just seem effortless, there is a smooth, grain less approach which can leave out the upmost parts of the higher frequencies, but this is still certainly a noticeable improvement over most sources.
 
Decay on guitars and strings stay but for a moment but the timber is actually very good at this price point. There’s room for improvement but man they haven’t gone far wrong in creating something that sounds so organic. Thankfully the treble mixes in so nicely with the rest of the sound you forget to ask if there is enough air surrounding each instrument as you listen, the answer is yes there is maybe not extravagantly so but nothing to be looked down at.
 
Midrange
 
Again there really isn’t much to fault here, hats off to Pro-Ject for creating such a well-rounded unit. I’ll throw in a little comparison against my Meridian explorer, a long-time favourite of mine, so on the one hand you clearly have a more mid centric sound and on the other you have something so delicate it begs you to listen more. I still love and probably always will love the Meridian simply because of its expansive soundstage and great midrange. But here’s the kicker I actually preferred the slightly more chilled approach of the Head Box on a few tracks.
 
There’s no cry for attention it just subtly draws you in. Vocals come across slightly behind the bass and treble however it very rarely feels like you’ve missed something out. The unit sometimes does lack a bit of detailing and bite. It’s almost like a haze sometimes unfortunately, and on some tracks the relaxed style seems to smear some of the detailing out of the midrange. But 9 out of 10 isn’t bad looking at its price point.
 
Bass
 
“Uptown Funk you up, I said Uptown Funk you up.” I have got to stop doing that in reviews, my sincerest apologies I was caught up in the rhythm and beat now back to the matter at hand. Bass will not disappoint most, the Box presents a rhythmic pace with a full bodied bottom end (sorry does that sound rude J) anyway it does not overcook the bass I’m please to say. In fact I think the bass might even be a little tighter than my beloved Meridian Explorer!
 
There is a solidarity to the bass that keeps the whole sound together, you never really feel like any one frequency is showing signs of deficiency. I would say there is a more of an emphasis towards the mid bass but the sub bass does its best to extend down to the nether regions but it just doesn’t always quite make it.
 
Soundstage and Imaging
 
So by this point you can see this wonderful little black box is keeping up quite nicely in every area. Okay time to play bad cop, I won’t describe the soundstage as airy or small but it’s certainly a different approach to the Meridian. Now if we were talking about sound stage and imaging vs something like your iPhone then there is a noticeable difference!
 
Instruments all have a place and take their seat wherever they belong on this slightly open stage. Nevertheless imaging remains fairly solid with a decent enough sense of space and accuracy, sure it could be wider, deeper and airier but to be honest I’m not complaining it doesn’t do things too bad at all and if I am being quite frank the natural presentation has really started to grow on me. The unit does really tend to stand out with acoustic pieces and well mastered recording will come across a lot more airy then some grime track recorded in a basement but that’s expected.
 
Resolution and refinement
 
Not a section I usually write about but since this magic box has done so well I wanted to add a little extra in to give more of an idea of the tone the Head Box S USB sets. Firstly I’d like to say it’s quite an admirable feat the Box has managed to pull sounding as good as it does with its limited sampling rate.
 
Anyway moving on to the resolution it wasn’t until I did a real A & B test against my AR-M2 that I started to see some more of its actual shortcomings in regard to sound. So thus far everything had a sounds sweet, fairly airy and organic, switching back to my AR-M2 though I suddenly realised the poor Box was actually lacking the real level of audio fidelity, resolution and refinement.
 
Sure it stands pretty great as a unit and I am not complaining also taking into consideration the price difference, but there certainly lack that extra sense of warmth and rich musicality you only really start to hear when you enter into that high resolution territory.
 
Extras
 
For kicks I hooked up the unit to my iPhone using Apple's CCK, as the unit is limited to 16 bit, I wasn’t going to be getting the most out of my high resolution files anyway. But I tell you what although there’s a difference between my beloved AR-M2 and this it’s not as big as one might think, I loved this thing with my iPhone! I must say I’ve tried a few DAC’s with my iPhone some with improvement some not so much but this unit certainly makes a difference. The sound doesn’t change a bit and remains as fluid and clean as when connected to my laptop which is more than I can say for others I have tried.
 
Concluding thoughts
 
I really have enjoyed my time with the Head Box S USB, it a shame it didn’t boast a bit more from its lacklustre accessories to its humble and unimpressive appearance and sampling rate. As far as sound goes for music enthusiasts this is a good bit of kit, I know this certainly won’t stratify diehard audiophiles but for those wanting a set up in sound quality and a tidy little rig at home or at work it’s hard not to recommend the Head Box S USB on sound alone. 

 
Okay, well let me just start off by saying I'm big fan of Unique Melody, it was actually the UM Miracle that I got a chance to demo which helped me understand how great an earphone can actually sound. This coming from a pair of Skullcandy's (forgive me Head fi) but we all started somewhere. 
 
Getting back to the topic at hand I'm going to typically break down each segment into sections. Untypical, I will be describing the sound in one chapter instead of strictly categorising each element of sound. To make things a little easier to read I will highlight keywords such as midrange, bass, soundstage and treble etc. There is a reason I'm explaining this and it's is because the Mentor had a lot to teach me, sorry couldn't resist, but seriously the sound is something that just needs to be discussed as a whole because it happens to be a little two faced, and hopefully when we get into it you'll understand what I mean.
 
Disclaimer
 
As a disclaimer this pair of earphones were bought at my expense second hand. I'm independently reviewing them but as always I will try to remain as objective as possible throughout the review.
 
Inside the box
 
So if you go to purchase the UM Mentor you can expect to see this beautiful white box with the heart-warming words printed across reading "Handcrafted with Love". A nice touch makes the buyer really feel special. 
 
Typically as standard you will receive an array of ear tips, carrying case and cleaning tools.
 
The carrying case is made out of solid metal and to the touch feels nigh impossible to break, not that you'd want to. I must say I love this thing as you twist the lid you hear the cry of quality as notes unwind themselves, sophistication emulates itself as you open the case.  
 
Here in lies your prize, your possession, future and Mentor. Honestly if my future wife's into it I'm so using this box for the proposal ring, I kid but good work UM, a carrying case worthy of a paragraph in itself. 
 

 
Build quality design and comfort
 
Moving swiftly on, so not unlike UM you will get a well-crafted body no bubbles or unsightly markings. Each earpiece that has been handcrafted and they look fantastic I must admit. 
 
Each earpiece is covered in a slightly translucent blue with a silky black face plate and a sweet silver “UM” logo printed on top. Even down to the nozzle you get this smooth body which then transcends into the silver mesh and silver coloured nozzle you can see pictured below:
 

 
The build quality, despite the appraisal of how good these things look, was unfortunately a little compromised as the pair I received has slightly loose connector sockets. Not the end of the world but for the price I would expect a little more from quality control.
 
I mean if they put half as much work into the build quality of the earphones as they seem to have done with the carrying case I'm sure they would survive an atomic bomb. 
 
The pair of Mentors I own are the universal fit version. Typical of any sort of custom in ear monitor, and the way of most multi balanced amateur driver earphones, the earphones are traditionally worn over the ear. They protrude slightly outwards as It's a fairly big housing unit but, there is 10 drivers to cram into such a small space. 
 
Overall I think they did a good job but it would be nice to see UM creating something as comfortable as Aurisonics offerings and their constant strive for the up most ergonomic design, this isn’t having a dig at UM it just seems to be an issue with a lot of universal fit multi BA driver earphones that have custom counterparts.
 
With all of that being said the comfort of the earphones is more than acceptable but for someone with smaller ears and narrow ear canals, there might be some discomfort presented. Personally with the right ear tips on I find the fit is quite comfortable and can wear them for up to about 3 hours without any real discomfort.
 
As a side note I chose to stick with silicone tips rather than my traditional choice of foam due to deeper level of insertion and added treble presence.
 
Source matching
 
Whilst these aren’t especially picky earphones I did notice a subtle change when using sources that use a lower output one of my favourite pairings was actually straight out of my Asus K55V laptop’s HO, but generally not all that dependent on your device. Although I would certainly recommend a higher end source as these step up their performance to match, they upscale particularly well with my AR-M2 playing DSD files it really does take things to a whole new level.
 
Cables
 
Now I know there will always be two sides to every story regarding the effects of cables however I’ll still put a mention in as I am a believer.
 
The stock cable provided is pretty much perfect, standard Westone style two pin tightly braided and provided similar sound quality to the upgraded cable I used. I used a pure silver niobium cable manufactured by HPL audio, to me the changes maybe subtle but worth it just enough to keep it plugged in for the remainder of the review. What you can expect is a slightly lifted midrange, cleaner and tonally warmer sound extending the bass a little further.
 
Picture time:  
 
Sound quality
 
Now I make no apologies for the critique I use here. But before I get into the bulk of it I want to make it very clear that I am in love with a lot of what the Mentor offer. It's just really unfortunate how immovably stubborn and Jackal and Hyde like these earphones really are! 
 
The first thing that captured me the moment I stuck them in my ears was the incredible soundstage and space. It was an “oh my word moment. What is this sorcery? Don't get me wrong I have been very privileged in hearing a lot of in-ear monitors that are all more than adequate in this department, but hands down I have to say these are probably the widest earphones I've ever listen to. A bold statement to make for sure but the sense of space is certainly awe inspiring. Depth doesn’t fall to short from the tree but is still quite admirable.
 
Each instrument has its own place on the stage the imaging is really good, it could be a little more precise, dependent more on recording, but if a 3D holographic feel is what you’re after I sincerely doubt you'll be disappointed with the Mentor. This is where some of my praise stops though, only because it seems to be the only damn consistent jaw dropping aspect of the sound.
 
I really have no idea why UM decided on bringing this out just yet! The Mentor best described is an aged professor teaching at Oxford with tenure and a serious case of bipolar. One minute you'll be enjoying a track like it's your first time of really listening to it, then bam the next track comes on and the nutty professor is at it again. It's my biggest peeve with this incredible but frustrating earphone, so for the next part I will have to describe the sound on a good day and on a bad day, bearing in mind the soundstage stays its lovely spacious self.
 
The right side of the bed
 
On a good day you can frolic and dance listening to the Mentor describing tales of joy as a punchy hip hop beat pulsates through your veins. You get an incredibly clear detailed sound with no overpowering frequencies. Treble decides to sparkle and shimmer almost whispering in your ear at times just reminding you it’s there, but you already knew, you feel its twinkle and presence as it tiptoes around the place. 
 
Then we move to that oh so mature mid-range, clear detailed a little relaxed but remarkably happy to tug on the emotions of every vocal you listen to, down to the last detail. Neither forward nor pushed back just ever present when needed. It has been a pleasure listening to something of this refinement as it has set a bench mark for me to listen out for in future earphones.
 
Now bass my good friend, I'm so glad you’re feeling so jubilant today. It's nice to see you under control and thank you for your speech on texture and presence it was truly wonderful, I certainly wouldn't mind hearing that again. Great decay, speed and punch throughout, with the exception of poorly recorded tracks. Aside from that Mr Bass will most certainly have you tapping your toes irrespective of where you are, on the train, plane, or at work whilst the office stares at you as you revert back to your teenage years imagining you’re at your favourite concert. 
 
The wrong side of the bed
 
But oh no, what happened! Bad day professor? Okay I see the day has approached, arrived and now I'm uncomfortable.
 
Treble my friend I can barely hear you, wow you really must have gone through a real ordeal, please eat something. I can hear you but oh so faintly it's everything I came to love about you still retaining that grace but now all that beauty seems a far distant cry away. 
 
Well maybe I'll go play with my good pal mid-range, no not you too! Damn it, words I can't utter enough when I think of how close we use to be. I was so proud of you but now we're so far apart, I used to love you staying close, informing me about every detail in life teaching me so much, but now you remain in the background as a lifeless idol, without body or soul. Fine I'll move on.
 
Bass buddy at least I can rely on you, can't I? Okay final straw what happened, who got to you, who said you're fat, I assure you’re not and we can work this out. Thankfully a little secret source will fix you up chum I know a good amplifier, he might be able to fix you. Hum back to normal kind of, still it's like there is still something missing oh of course that would be your younger brother mid bass. 
 
Unfortunately the Mentor has this innate ability to change to any track it's given not always in a good way. The sub-bass I've now tested down to the 20 hz range and remains stable with great texture and depth but the mid bass can seem a little too polite on certain tracks almost begging for a little extra attention.
 
Conclusion
 
These shortcomings aside I'd like to see the Mentor perform with as much consistency as possible because in my eyes it's brilliant but a little unfinished. With a track of its choice I'm pretty sure I could lean towards using the words end game product. (Ha like there's one of them when you’re still on Head fi). Still there is a unique quality here that's brought my experience and anticipation up a notch. Word of caution, if you’re anything like me you’ll end up lovingly frustrated and infatuated with these earphones. This is mainly because I tend to listen to whatever music I fancy and make the sacrifice of lower bit rate files and yes even streaming on occasion. On the upside however if you are someone who has a set amount of tracks all ripped to perfect quality these are probably an incredibly safe bet.   
 
Truly after having spent some time at CanJam and trying out some of the best of the best, I can say these earphones have pushed the boat of excitement a little further for what we can hopefully expect to see from companies in the future. In the meantime though I am very much considering ordering the custom version as I really like the house sound, regardless of my few grips these have been one of my most favourite earphones to listen to, to date.  
 
If anyone has any questions or would like some brief comparisons against other earphones just post a comment or PM me and I’ll try my best to answer any quires. 

 
Disclaimer
 
I just want to say an honorary thank you to Felix for arranging this product tour and also a thank you to Pro-Ject for the opportunity to give feedback on these headphones. That being said I have no affiliation with Pro-Ject so all opinions are written purely and as objectively as possible.
 
Background about Pro-Ject
 
Pro-Ject Audio Systems was founded 25 years ago. In 2006 the company also started a venture into micro hi-fi components including DACs, amplifiers etc.
 
Actually one of Pro-Ject’s amplifiers happened to be one of the first audiophile components I got the chance of trying as I was growing into my audio hobby/addiction.  So a little bit of a privilege and nostalgia getting to try out one of their later products. 
 
Here are two links to Pro-Ject’s products page for further product information and specifications: 
 
http://www.box-designs.com/main.php?tech=hearitone&cat=headphones&lang=en
 
http://www.box-designs.com/main.php?prod=hearitone&cat=headphones&lang=en
 
Inside the Box
 
I don’t quite know why but the lime green has a certain alluring appeal, as you can see in the photos the presentation is pleasant, neat and tidy. On the back of the box Pro-Ject have decided to add a little tease for all us audio addicts out there by picturing one of their headphone amplifiers on the back unfortunately, the amp isn’t included. 
 
 

 
So what is? Well of course you get the Hear it One headphones and also a ¼ inch adaptor with a slightly thin but suitable carrying pouch not too shabby for a headphone costing under a 100 Euros. The carry case is ample for travel and I would assume will protect the headphones from scratches and tarnishing. 
 

 
 
 
 
Build Quality and Design
 
Whilst I haven’t had a copious amount of experience with over ear headphones these certainly seem well built in comparison to a few other models which will remain nameless. The design reminds me slightly of the Fostex T50RP’s only a slightly less macho version, a mini me if you will. The housing is made of plastic but doesn’t feel cheap or give off that tacky expression in any sort of way.
 
The cable design is made of a light weight fabric however, doesn’t exactly scream quality but a pragmatic design no less. The cable unfortunately, is somewhat cheap feeling and is also hardwired in, not a deal breaker but something that may be good to see in a later revision unit. Thankfully the internal wiring used is OFC so some thought was put into the sound quality aspect. The cable length is a modest 1.25M long perfect for portable use. 
 
You can also make adjustments to the size and fit by moving the ear cups up and down the metal sliders. The headband is covered in a nicely finished leather and in addition you get Pro-Ject’s logo printed across the headband a subtle touch I quite like.
 

 
 
 
Comfort and Isolation
 
Hehe oh boy one thing I feel I can brag about a little here is certainly the comfort. Pro-Ject have decided on using a memory foam inside the ear pads. This has resulted in wonderful comfort and isolation managing to block out a decent amount of external noise. Due to the design and pads I personally find these one of the more comfortable over ear headphones I’ve tried.
 
I must mention though my ears are fairly small so the ear cups cover my ears perfectly and for those with slightly bigger ears this may not be the case. Still all in all great design not felt any discomfort regarding pressure or that overly warm feeling you can get from over ears.
 
Sound Quality
 
Let us move on to the bit we always find ourselves wanting to skip to. How do these sound! Broken down below is some basic impressions and conclusion on the overall sound quality of these headphones.
 
Treble 
 
The treble is nicely presented with detailed offerings splashed into the music as you listen in. But there isn't anything too special to mention here, it's not particularly airy but the sense of separation is there just enough for you to pick out an instrument or two. Anyone looking for mammoth amounts of detail I'd look elsewhere but for the price there's certainly nothing to be sniffed at.
 
Should you have a whiff though you might find yourself wanting a little more aroma and extension? I didn't find the headphones particularly fatiguing but after a while I found myself a touch exhausted with the presentation wanting just a little more excitement without the added aggression. Treble detail did seem to improve slightly with burn in time becoming less grainy and more refined finding its place within the sound spectrum a little better.
 
All in all it is fairly competent in what it’s trying to accomplish but there are others that do a better job at this price point, combining an extra bit of sparkle with a dash more sophistication.  
 
Midrange
 
Okay well don't let me fool you into believing these are a complete faux par when it comes to sound quality because they’re not. The vocals do take a back seat and try and let the bass and treble drive the sound and chips in its part by pointing out landmarks across the way.
 
Still even with the relaxed presentation there is still plenty of information presented from guitar plucks and subtle breaths in songs. There is a downside to the recession with some female vocal tracks voices can sound a little distant and hazy making you crank up the volume to push them forward a bit. However, with the right recording they do reproduce a warm rich sound that blends in well with the bass.
 
Personally I’d like a more forward presentation and added clarity in the vocal department however, I have heard a lot worse. Furthermore there is a nice sense of warmth that comes across in the vocal range making for a more relaxed listening session, a coffee by the fireplace sort of deal.
 
Bass 
 
Despite some of its shortcoming the Hear it One does do bass and does it quite well I might add. These are by no means bass heavy headphones but there is a certain bias towards it. The mid bass is prominent on any track when it calls for it but does its best to stay out the way of the rest of the sound spectrum.
 
Moving a little lower to the sub bass region is where the poor Hear it One seems to bottom out a bit extension goes down quite well but not quite deep enough to reach those dirty, window rattling levels.
There is a slight lack of texture and bass definition so you don’t always necessarily get the same definition as you would from something like ATH-50s.  Still I can’t find a lot to fault here as nothing messes up the overall sound and I quite like its character in the way it presents itself when called upon.
 
Soundstage and Imaging
 
Remarkably considering the overall darker tone of the headphone and lack of air the soundstage doesn’t seem to suffer from it. In fact it was one of the things that caught my attention the moment I heard them. There is good width and depth with an almost out you head kind of feel. Now here is where I have to take some brownie points away due to half assed attempted imagery, okay that’s a little harsh, no you can place instruments around the place here and there but there’s just no really pin pointing where it’s all coming from it almost feels a little like a blur then a flash of “Oh wait what was that”. But criticism aside there is still that lovely soundstage to take the edge off some of its inadequacies.
 
Concluding thoughts
 
Whilst I can’t hand on heart say this would be my go to recommendation for a set of over ear headphones. I will say for the price they actually haven’t gone far wrong. It’s a shame because something such as Sennheiser’s baby Momentum’s are now going for as little as £60 on eBay and to me offer a little more bang for buck. The Hear it one is a good headphone and I would like to see some DIY’ers get their hands on it to see what they can do to pull out some of its hidden potential. Regrettably though as it stands it a good attempt and certainly a comfy headphone but the market has become an even tougher place now to standout with price performance ratios being beaten every day.
 
Please check out some of Pro-Jects other stuff as well though because they're a great company with a lot of solid offerings, whom I’m sure we will get to see a lot more from in the future.
 
Thanks for reading and if there are any questions please comment below and I will do my best to respond. 

 
The introduction
 
Firstly, I would like to thank Final Audio Design for the opportunity to be a part of this heavenly tour. That being said as a disclaimer I have no affiliation with Final Audio Design so all impression will be as honest and objective as possible.
 
Okay, before getting into the meat of this review I just wanted to mention a little about Final Audio Design and their products, so typically from trying a few of there earlier models Final Audio’s sound signature tends to lean towards that euphoric mid centric and epic soundstage kind of personality. Aiming to achieve all of this through their relentless pursuit of just a single balanced armature driver! Yep just one not two not three just one. So it’s no surprise the Heaven VII doesn’t fall to far from this stereotype sound, signature wise and certainly not technology wise.
 
It’s actual quite an achievement in what the company has produced with a lot new hype still surrounding hybrid designs and CIEMS now even holding up to 12 drivers per side. A commendable feat and Final Audio Design certainly have come a long way, I actually remember trying out a host of their earphones about 2 Years ago at a Head fi meet and being impressed by how much sound was being produced by such a seemingly inconspicuous earphone.
 
Below is a more detail picture of the Heaven’s internals and make up: 

Here is also a link to Final Audio Design's site for full specification and information: http://final-audio-design.com/en/archives/2240
(Disclaimer this picture was taken from Final Audio Designs Web Page I do not own the rights to this picture)
 
Build Quality and Design
 
As you can see a very simple yet eloquent design. The Heaven VII is crafted out of the same stainless steel body as the Heaven VIII. The only difference here being the VIII is only available in a gold finish. The VII on the other hand are obtainable in two other colour options a sexy polished silver and an enticing matte black, that feels so nice to touch, just saying.
 
Their signature font “Final” is printed on the front side of the driver housing as you can see, there are also left and right indicator markings written near where the cable and housing meet. One thing I must say is how much I love the beautifully crafted jack, it’s a modest straight 3.5mm jack but is encompassed in a silver finish with beautiful calligraphy printed across just adding that extra touch of class.
 
A flat non tangle cable flows from the housing, apart from being a little weighty the thing just screams quality! I have owned a few supposedly flat non tangle cabled earphones before which have failed that claim quite abysmally, the Heavens on the other hand offer a real chunky wire that never gets confused no matter how carefully or carelessly I put them away.
 
I have uploaded a picture of the jack, cable and earphones for a bit of visual reference:

 
Accessories
 
Other than the straight up sex appeal you get from looking at its packaging, inside you will find a black fur bedding hugging those precious heavenly jewels, a sleek polished silver carrying case, a warranty card, instruction manual and a selection of 5 different sized silicone ear tips (Of which I received 4 a pair may have been lost along the tour). Moving on there is also a mirror-finished slim flat carrying case has a padded interior, its dimensions are as follows: 3.5” H x 3.75” W.
 
The presentation is certainly one of extravagance really showing off just how luxurious the earphones are, I truly believe this comes from a company who want you to feel like you have got what you paid for. Regrettably though as nice as the presentation and case is I can’t help but feel a little griped. The reason for this isn’t due to the limitation of silicon tips or accessories, it’s actually down to that lustrous carrying case.
 
Basically due to the finish Final Audio Design has chosen to go with you end up with something very similar to the old iPod classics, if you ever owned one you’ll know exactly what I mean the surface is prone to scratching and marks no matter how carefully you try and preserve it. A little disappointing but worst of all even though the cases dimensions mean it can fit quite easily into your pocket the bloody thing won’t close without a fight with the earphones in, granted I have got foam ear tips on there but still this is something that could have been prevented with a simple indent for the earphones to fit snugly into.
 
Here are some pictures of what you are to expect, still love the box it’s like snake skin just pure class:

 
Comfort, Fit and Isolation
 
The comfort of these earphones is actually quite respectable. However, there seems to be one big design flaw here unfortunately, that is solely down to the housing’s stainless steel weighty enclosure. These things are downright heavy, even besting my Dunu 2000's. Aside from the weight though they’re generally very comfortable, they are conventionally worn straight down so no faffing about trying to get the cable over your ear and so on. 
 
Switching tips is one thing I found gave me a little bit of added relief from the earphones dense nature. Tip rolling in itself can be useful thankfully in this case I didn't find too many sonic changes as I was trying out various tips. I finally settled on a pair of foam ear tips which use no wax guard and provide a perfect balance between clarity, isolation and comfort.
 
Typically speaking due to the weight of the earphone I can't wear them for any longer than a period of about two hours before they become uncomfortable. Obviously for most people two hours is quite sufficient but something to take into consideration if you’re planning on wearing these for extended periods of time.
 
Last but not least a little word on isolation, I don't know if it's the foam ear tips or the stainless steel housing or both but there isn't any complaints here! Apart from the exception of a few good earphone these offer pretty substantial isolation on a few occasion with the music off people were trying to talk to me and still couldn't hear a thing so not bad at all. 
 
Initial impressions
 
Before I kick off with my initial thoughts and feelings I want to stress how much my views have changed since I’ve got to understand and spend more time with the Heavens, so please do read the actual sound impressions as it would be a crime to deface a pretty good product by just reading these next few slightly unflattering paragraphs.
 
So after a slight delay the earphones finally arrived (pun intended) upon first listen I couldn’t help but feel like something is either missing or broken. Actually after having read previous reviews I was tempted to email Mark and see if they had another pair or at least forewarn them of a seriously bad review.
 
The earphones sounded veiled, thin and distant and at first and I just couldn’t get why previous reviews had mentioned the vocal reproduction sounding so natural and a big soundstage which just didn’t seem to exist at this point.
 
I can not emphasis this next section enough, source matching is crucial for these babies to shine as they were intended to and you need to spend some days letting your brain adjust to what’s going on, or at least I certainly did. As I was in a rush the first thing I plugged them into was my iPhone 6 hardly audiophile, but I just didn’t think such a quality product could sound so lifeless. As it turns out with brain burn in and a little extra juice they are now quite enjoyable even out of my iPhone, not at their best by any means, but at least enjoyable.
 
Source matching
 
As I mentioned my initial impressions weren’t overly impressive at all. Thankfully once again my home listening set up saved the day. The setup I use is simply a Meridian DAC V1 connected to the infamous Meier audio Quickstep using a Crystal Piccolino interconnect. I found this set up to be the most sonically pleasing as it provided a nice ample amount of warmth and brought out all of the Heavens best attributes. 
 
I would go as far as to say these are nearly the pickiest earphones I've tried and I would recommend highly that you invest in a good source if you're planning on purchasing these, if you don't already own one. 
 
I am sure you can get away with using an iPhone or an android-based device if that's all you've got around, but do be aware you will probably need to push the volume up. This isn't necessarily because the earphones are hard to drive it just seems to need those notches to bring out their true character. I found myself pushing the volume up a little past my comfort levels when simply using my iPhone in order to really pull out the clarity, bass and midrange however, there was the negative of this resulting in a slightly more aggressive sound than I’m used to, mainly in the treble region but more on that later.
 
In the unlikely case all you have is your phone try get a little amp, even something like the Martini+ connected to my iPhone really gave it a good kick in the bum and boosted its performance. It’s certainly something I'd recommend as the results yielded a lot of good fruit, everything from more euphoric vocals to treble detail all the way down to the bass. 
 
I think the main reason why I couldn't seem to get such an enjoyable sound out of them at the start, other than having to adjust to the sound signature, is simply because these are high-end earphones and they were designed in mind with a high quality source to match. I hope you've stayed with me this far as we are about to get into the juicy bit, the sound!
 
Sound Quality
 
As has been made clear by this point I basically have decided to base these sound impressions on how the Heavens sound using my home set up, AR-M2 and also my iPhone 6 utilising a line out to my Neco V4 Amplifier.
 
Treble:
 
Well I feel it has been a long time since I have had the chance to hear a BA driver sound as subtle, gentle and crisp as the VII sound in this department. Everything from cymbals to hi hats sound great, guitars especially come across with such transparency and shimmer leaving a delicate note decay as if TinkerBell had just blew magic pixy dust over each note. Honestly please do be careful I didn’t find these earphones forgiving at all of poor recordings though, but as soon as you put some of your favourite music collection on you’ll learn to appreciate why they sound the way they do.
 
Micro detailing is great, light and never trying to force too much in your face all at once, this trait results in the treble having a supplementary amount of air and space for those twangs, clicks and pops to dance around the soundstage which adds a slight touch of brightness and breath. 
 
Midrange:
 
Why oh why did you have to go and make things complicated baby. Sorry me and the VII had a little difficulty understanding each other in this department. This is so much more down to source matching. I don’t get why but these earphones clearly still follow the typically acclaimed sound we have come to know from Final Audio Design but and there is a but if paired with a slightly mid recessed sounding source vocals can seem distant resulting in a slightly shady unmusical sound.
 
Thankfully after couples counselling we managed to sort out our differences and the results have been well, heavenly just had to. Sorry forgive the puns it’s hard when they’ve chosen such a brilliant name. Talking strictly from this point on there is this beautifully buoyant sweet vocal reproduction. It’s no secret I am a bit of a vocal devotee and to me I am always drawn to those type of earphones, that being said the VII is again an earphone that holds its own against some of the most favourable mid focused earphones I've tried.
 
Vocals come across airy and light with a touch of forwardness and bite that can be quite euphoric. The more I listen the more addicted I become refreshing seems to be such a fitting word for the way the Heavens sound to my ears. Although these are clearly designed for accuracy and pace I find myself sometimes wanting a little more meat after falling in love with the R2Pro but I’ll add that in the comparisons section.
 
Bass:
 
Hi, I am bass it’s nice to meet you I'll be around if you need me but don’t bother me too much because I refuse to work for no reason. I’m pretty sure that’s the kind of statement you’d get if the bass first introduced itself. There is certainly a limitation here and I can’t help but feel this is where Final Audio Design need to break convention and finally add an extra driver. Do not get me wrong the accuracy and speed is great from top to bottom like no other single based BA I’ve ever heard however, it still leaves something to be desired.
 
It lacks that texture and finesse you get from a well-tuned dynamic or multi BA earphone. I just feel like these little things were trying too hard to do so much. The bass is good and prominent when needed but certainly could do with some added meat to its bones. On a good note the speed and accuracy is really on point you never get any bleed into the other frequency ranges either leaving the rest of the sound so neat and tidy. There is also a nice impact when a track really calls for it, for the discerning audiophile who loves a bit of hip hop these can still perform remarkable well but there’s room for improvement.
 
Soundstage, Imaging and Layering:
 
Now you may have already heard about the VII’s immersive and spacious soundstage well I won’t kill the hype too much. I feel like they were created with this in mind the soundstage isn’t overly wide or deep yet it has a charisma about it that allows instruments to breathe and spread out around you. I like the way the soundstage is done it is very spacious just in its own way, I have more of a benchmark regarding layering the R2pro really opened me up to what that really means.
 
The VII feel more flat overall due to their nature but thankfully the light tight and liquid sound Final Audio have tried to put into nearly all their earphones makes up for it so you are more captivated about what’s going on around you, the micro detailing being presented and beautiful pallet cleansing midrange. To add a tag line to this I am being very critical because they have done such a good job in this department.
 
Brief Comparisons
 
Dunu 2000: We all know the Dunu 2000’s punch above their weight, but can they keep up with an earphone that costs twice as much? Well the answer isn’t a clear cut yes or no. Sorry for the suspense but although the Dunu do perform remarkably well there is still more refinement found in the VII.
 
Dunu due to the hybrid design in my opinion has a better bass response than the VII, sounding more natural and reaching deeper than the VII is capable of. Now in terms of coherency the tip of the hat goes to the VII everything from top to bottom is very well placed and with a good source they show up and outclass the humble Dunu in this respect.
 
Strictly talking about performance the Heaven VII is an incredible feat with what it manages to achieve with just one BA per side. Bottom line if you have the cash I’d pick the VII over the Dunu for its overall performance from a gorgeous glorious midrange and soundstage to its cohesive sound it’s just that bit better.  
 
R2Pro: Okay this one is really tough these are two completely different sounding types of earphone! So much in fact I will have to bullet point the differences to give you a better comparison.
 
Heaven VII
 

1. Lighter tighter sound
2. A more forward vocal presentation ( With the right source )
3. Soundstage is about equal. The VII is more about having you immersed almost so you don’t know there’s anything happening other than this sense of space whereas the R2Pro focuses on layering and making you aware where everything is coming from.
4. Cleaner clearer presentation

 
R2Pro
 

1. Plumper bass resulting in a thicker sound
2. Detail retrieval isn’t behind but it’s not as obvious
3. Less in your face midrange
4. Darker more engaging sound and more versatile
5. More suitable for longer listening sessions due to the light housing design and comfort

 
Final Thoughts
 
I know some elements of this review have been a little critical but on the contrary I want to commend Final Audio for producing such a fine earphone with just one driver! This to me has been like a fine wine that has only got better with time, a relationship in its growing stages maturing into a refined love and appreciation. There is a lot to be enjoyed about the quality of this earphone I feel I can’t really give it a five star because of some of its shortcomings i.e. lack of versatility with source matching and just the other nit-picks I have with its try hard attitude.
 
I would love to see some improvements for example a lighter driver housing, a slightly more pragmatic and durable carrying case, possibly a removable cable? Most of all I have high hopes, if this is what Final Audio Design can do with ONE SINGLE BA DRIVER can you imagine a highly tuned and perfected multi BA from this company, wow I think they may need to find a word above heaven. Might be harder coming up with a name that emulates what the upgrade to the Heaven VII would be than actually creating the earphones.
 
Concluding thoughts are these are a serious earphone it’s only because of the nit-picks and lack of versatility this is getting a four star. Believe me I may not have hyped about the sound too much but in all honesty I don’t want to let these go they have been a breath of fresh air if Final Audio Design take into consideration some of the suggestions made I don’t care how much the damn things cost I’ll buy them! 

Introduction
 
I initially caught wind of Flare Audio and their offerings through a friend's Facebook post. Cutting a long story short I clicked the link and with each detail I read became more curious. Naturally each word, quote and technology packed description had me wanting to know a little more. To the point I just had to actually hear if it could be all be true! You can read more about the technical side of things over on Flares Kickstarter page which I have provided a link to: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/584645150/flare-audio-a-revolution-in-pure-sound
 
The general tag line is: Distortion free, pressure-balanced IEM in-ear earphones.
So after a few exchanges of messages it was decided and a sample was sent out. Just want to say a special thank you to Davies and Anna for getting everything arranged so quickly.
 
Inside the box
 
Due to the pair I have not being the final version a few thing are missing but I have uploaded pictures anyway yet left comments to a minimum at this point. For those of you who have pledged for the R2PRO be at ease you will be receiving an official R2PRO carry cases not the R2A box which is displayed in the picture below. All sold will be delivered with an official R2Pro carry case, Please see Flare’s Kickstarter page for more information.
 

 
Included in the final version will be.
 
Comply Tips: Flare decided to go for Comply isolation tips for three reasons… Comfort, isolation and sound quality. With cheap silicone tips there cannot be a guarantee on sound or isolation, sometimes they fit ok, other times not, depending on a person’s internal ear shape, when they don’t fit totally bass drops off slightly.
 
With R2PRO you get 3 sets of Comply tips included, either small/med/large or you can have 3 sets of one size. You can purchase replacement sets online, just search Comply T200 isolation plus.
Flare have tried out all manner of Silicone tips along with carrying out tests with users, they all came back favourable towards Comply memory foam in the end. Another great aspect of the Comply tips is the wax guard, this means you can swap them out and clean the filter at the same time.
It is important to Flare that R2 is experienced the best it can be as the technology requires a perfect seal to work perfectly, however if people really do want silicone tips Flare will be happy to swap them, if you ask nicely.
 
The start of something beautiful
 
I want to spend some time later explaining in more depth the sound, built, fit, specs, technology and packaging but simply couldn't let anyone read any further without giving, at the very least, a nugget about how these things sound.
 
Plain and simple from the moment I’ve had these in my ears there was a smile a brewing. These earphones have a voice but they don't shout, they very firmly say “I am sophisticated, experienced and have travelled a long way to get here, take some time off son, sit down make a cuppa and let me tell you all about it”.
 
There is certainly something special about the R2PRO and I love it. Is it the last word in refinement? Maybe, maybe not but this beautifully balanced earphone has so much to offer it would be unjust to try and sum up in a sentence or two.
 
Build Quality and Cable
 
The R2Pro is constructed of a Titanium housing this is to reduce sonic vibrations and stop distortion resulting in a clearer cleaner sound. Don’t know how much you can read into the science of it all but one thing's for sure the proof certainly is in the pudding, or this case the sound.
 
Unfortunately I don't have any of the other models to make an accurate comparison of the effects the housing has on the sound. However, what I do know is there certainly has been some extra time and attention given to this specific model. This is a masterful piece of equipment.  
 
“Quote from Flare’s Kickstarter Page”
Each R2Pro enclosure is manufactured from a solid bar of titanium grade 5. This material is 12x stronger than aluminium 6082 and is the only element to feature a close packed hexagonal structure. It's this atomic symmetry coupled with R2's cylindrical design (the strongest possible shape) and Flare’s patent-pending pressure-balancing technology that results in the R2Pro’s enclosure being the most rigid possible, creating the highest possible quality of sound.
 
Here are a few pictures of these tiny jewels in the metal:
 

 
 
 
 
 
The housing looks and feels absolutely minuet, in all honesty this probably has the smallest footprint of any IEM I have ever tried. It’s very reminiscent of Sony’s MH1-C with an almost familiar warmth and texture.
 
The cable is a very simplistic black design with a straight ended jack not much to say here. Now whilst I will commend the R2Pro’s cable for its light weight and minimalistic design. I can’t help but feel like it’s going to break at any moment although, this would be a bit presumptuous as a lot of work has gone in to make sure this doesn’t occur. Personally I am a fan of straight ended jacks less issues with devices so there are no complaints here.
 
I have the prototype model so unfortunately there are no marking indicators for the left and right channel fortunately this will be amended by the time of the official launch. With the final design the Y splitter will have indicators on that identifies the left/right speaker. It's a metal part that has the Flare logo stamped in with a left/right on it in small letters. This part arrives mid-May in time for the June timeline on KS thus the samples don't have it installed, but note it will be on all pairs purchased.
 
I have uploaded a picture below and do apologise for the poor quality:
 
Extra Info: Replaceable driver and cable + Tech specs

Design: Sealed and pressure-balanced 
Drivers: 5mm dynamic drivers with neodymium magnet 
Impedance: 16 Ω
Enclosure dimensions: 12mm Long. 7mm Diameter 
Ear tip dimensions: (Comply Isolation Plus Tx200 Medium) 10.5mm Long. 12mm Diameter 
Weight: 9g
Materials: Titanium Grade 5 
Connector: 3.5mm Gold mini jack
Cable: 1.2m TPE anti-twist cable 
Disclaimer: This is all the current information I have so far. It is unlikely there will be any major changes from now but just so I don’t get shot if there are, so here’s the current plan.

As it has been noted there is no strain relief nor will there be. However, there is method in this madness.

The reason for no strain relief is so the user has the ability to swap out the entire cable and driver assembly.  The cable is held under gentle but secure pressure from the rear cap by 2 o-rings that compress both the cable and the driver (to stop unwanted vibrations that would create distortion).

The sides of the cable entry in the body have 250 micron chamfers that don't damage the cable when pulled. This removes the need for a strain relief which we have extensively tested by repeated pulling and snagging (the cable itself breaks first nowhere near the R2 and usually at the point of being pulled very hard).

 
This is an important feature as adding a strain relief would ruin the great sound (as it’s crucial that the entry point of the cable is tiny) and inhibit user replace ability of the drivers and cable.

With regards to the jack, we found that with some cases a 90 degree jack does not work without removing the cases on some phones first, so we went with a straight connector initially as it fitted all. The entire cable assembly includes 2 drivers and new o-rings which are a complete user replacement part which will be available from Flare at just £35. Flare are planning to offer various cable options in the future including...

Mic and remote

Braided cable

90 and 45 degree jacks

Over ear cable for artists IEM stage use

 

With the cable being a low cost accessory which fits all versions the user will be able to change or upgrade their R2's as they see fit. This is only possible due to R2's unique design which also gives R2 its great sound.

 

To swap the driver/cable assembly all a user needs to do is unscrew the rear cap. Please note: The drivers should only be removed when replacing them as removal can damage them as they are pulled out. 

If you would like to see inside the R2 just unscrew the rear cap to see inside. When screwing the cap back up ensure that once you get to resistance only apply a medium to light turning pressure. This is to secure the driver in place and secure the cable. Over tightening beyond a medium pressure will inhibit bass response as the driver becomes too compressed between the o-rings.

 

There is a tolerance gap between the end cap and body so that every user can ensure their drivers are correctly held in place with various different cable options later on.

 
Find picture below:

 
Design Fit and Comfort
 
Whilst much has been covered in the last section regard the build quality I wanted to expand a little on the design with the addition of some subjective opinions.
 
Let us start with the uniquely small design Flare has chosen to go with. Primarily my thoughts were these are just far too small but to my surprise once I applied the supplied comply ear tips and wedged them securely in I realised just how comfortable and pragmatic this design really is.
 
For the first time in I can’t remember how long, I was able to just lay my head on a pillow comfortably and enjoy my music simultaneously. Prior to this I have had a range of earphones that all seemed to have some kind of fit issue. Anyway back to the R2PRO due to the microscopic design they literally disappear into your ears. If you’re not a fan of deep insertion I would recommend looking at alternatives, that’s if you can live without this stunning sound hehe.
 
I have briefly mentioned comfort but to add solidarity to what has been said these are the comfiest earphones I have ever used. In real life terms this equates to me having them glued in for about 3-4 hours without a break and note even as much of an itch of discomfort. Unfortunately still having to live in the real world of jobs, eating and speaking to people means they have to come out sometime, as much as that saddens me. In fact if I could live in this world of wow for longer I probably wouldn’t come out for days.
 
Due to the great fit of these earphones isolation is pretty darn good not the best I have experienced but certainly enough for stage monitoring and blocking out most external noise.
 
Sound quality
Equipment used: Acoustic Research AR-M2, Meridian Explorer + Meier Audio Quickstep, iPhone 6
(Just a note on driveability these are not sensitive earphones so don’t be surprised if you find yourself going up a few notches to reach your preferred listen level.)   
 
Anyway I hope you’ve stuck with me this far because after all, this is what we all want to know about when looking to invest in any audio gear.
 
Conventionally I will be breaking down the sound into bite sized categories but first a tale of what to expect.
 
You have just awoken from a wonderfully dreamy sleep gently you stretch out your limbs give air to your back and release that fully unbound, deep and satisfying yawn. The warm hint of the sun’s rays has just penetrated your window and you feel its crystal clear glow kiss your face and body. Wow what a great morning this is turning out to be, this moment is yours and yours alone to call your own.
 
Nobody can take that away from you but to your surprise your day continues to blossom and grow become more exciting and fun with each passing moment. Surprise after surprise you think to yourself so this is what it is to feel blessed. Ok let us end there, believe me that is the feeling you just might get when you first start to listen to these. From the get go they are impeccably clean and unfatiguing bringing you a smile from ear to ear,  but listen longer and you become even more enveloped with what you’re hearing. Is that? No it couldn’t be! Yep these puppies will start to pull out some real hidden micro detail as brain burn in and driver burn in occur.
 
I don't want to use that misrepresentative phrasing we’ve all read in one review or audio sales jargon at some point during our journey “I'm hearing things I never heard before”.  But I am not far off from wanting to paraphrase it, simple put when critically listening through the R2PRO you will hear more nuances and micro detailing then you might be used to. Coming from a long line of hybrid monitors had me thinking the R2’s were not matching the same level of detail as the BA drivers were. Whilst seemly true I found it more a matter of presentation and with a little time taken getting to know the R2 bit by bit came to the conclusion there’s actually more going on within the R2’s, it just isn’t shouting at you or demanding your attention.
 
Highs:
 
I am not sure how I’m going to begin, the treble holds great realism and the micro detailing is just superb especially at the Kickstarter price point! Saying that even at retail price they are pretty much in a league of their own.
                      
Through continuous listening I have noticed a weak area but was unable to place it in the upper midrange or treble, some tracks sound astonishing whilst others you end up hearing what can only be described as hollow note presentation. This isn’t something you will be immediately drawn to but correcting this would be one more step toward perfection!
 
I will say it’s in the upper midrange region as it rarely affects guitar strings or cymbals. Moving on from that though there is still so much to be discovered, I really am enjoying the presentation of this tiny beast. The treble (In fact the entire presentation) holds truer to a typical audiophile sound with great timber and note decay leaving shimmers and twangs dancing in your ears as you soak in the ambience of it all.
 
I will mention the micro detailing more in regards to the midrange but if there’s one thing that has caught me particularly off guard it is this almost ninja like ability the R2PRO has of just surprising you with little nuances in tracks, I mean damn I was listening to Ed Sheeran’s newish album X (Multiply) and had to stop for a moment. Yep mid lyric thinking something was wrong but nope there was a gentle scratch going on in the back of the song that I must have missed a dozen times before but the R2’s just made it all the more apparent, accomplishing all this without that bright and loud cry for detail I was beginning to get used to made by typical TWFK drivers.
 
Midrange:
 
Hello gorgeous you like me don’t you? Don’t worry I like you too. Oh sorry that was meant to be a private moment between me and my R2’s. No seriously once again I am being spoilt by this incredibly natural midrange nothing is missing here, everything is where it should be.
 
Overlooking the aforementioned hollowness presented in the upper midrange you get a wonderfully clear, detailed and neatly presented presentation. Vocals just melt into the music and when emotion is called on the R2 are right there to bring it. Listening to “Andie Case’s Cover of Love me like you do” makes me never want to take these out of my ears. Going back to the micro detailing again, it’s like a journey of rediscovery from every guitar pluck down to the subtle after effects added to the track, you get to hear it all naked, unashamed, unmasked yet remaining subtle, soft and oh so gentle.  
 
I wouldn't call the midrange forward but it’s not U shaped ether but can be with bassier tracks. Thankfully it’s actually a challenge to get the bass to bleed into the mids which is great because you get to enjoy this smooth, micro detailed packed midrange.
 
I make no apologies for overusing some words in this review, it is simply due to the nature of this earphone I find myself wanting to emphasis just how good some of its strong points are.
 
Lows:
 
Now we have made our way to the bass I get to be a little more critical. Please don’t misread this the bass is incredibly textured and well done but, I have heard of more capable bass from other IEMs. You won't know how well the bass is done on these until you really put it through its paces though.
 
These earphones are marketed towards the more refined listener and not necessarily to the bass junkie so it’s something to consider before purchasing if a lover of EDM or Dubstep etc. The bass does however hold incredibly capabilities when driven as a tester track I highly recommend “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa ft Charlie Puth. Now getting into this track you will immediately notice the refinement that has gone into this earphone there is a lush plump sound driving the bass line but somehow the flabbiness seems to be keeping its top on.
 
I personally am a big bass fan that being said, although there isn’t necessarily copious amounts of it with every track trying to force a kind of musicality upon you, the fact there is such layering and detailing going on, and can be called on whenever really needed makes the quality of the bass quite a thing of beauty.
 
Soundstage and imaging:
 
I am glad I've gotten finally to this section. Good would be a nice understatement for what I am hearing. The sound stage is very natural, resolving and doesn’t really make any effort in making you believe it’s there.
 
There is an openness about the staging that real allows instruments to breath you can pick where instruments are coming from but not quite as easily as you can from something like the ASG 1Plus. I am however tempted to say I almost prefer this though as it really adds to that unfatiguing effortless character.
 
Nothing seems overdone here maybe a touch up here or there could give it some improvement but overall you will find these earphones growing on you hour by hour. Positional cues are all there panning from left to right with just more than moderate width and depth to accompany the unforceful nature of its presentation. Just love this relaxed yet highly detailed beauty.
 
Comparisons
 
·         Sennheiser ie800 vs R2Pro. Bass ie800 are going to throw more at you as good as the bass is with the ie800 it does come with some unfortunate boom which can become tiresome.
·         Treble is more pronounced with the ie800’s creating a more fatiguing experience, detailing is suburb on both but I would take the less aggressive approach of the R2Pro’s any day.
·         Mids are great on both but due to the bass bleed the ie800 vocals sometimes take a back seat in the mix.
·         Soundstage will go to the ie800 it’s just a little cleaner and transparent despite its shortcoming the ie800 staging is still pretty top notch for a single dynamic driver.
 
·         Shure se215 vs R2Pro. Please don’t make me do this it’s not a fair fight.
 
·         Well can I just say now the R2 is in a completely different price range so it’s to be expected they’re going to be a few steps up.
 
·         Basically refinement is what the se215’s are really missing from untrimmed bass to their try hard approach to everything, they just unfortunately get outclassed. The midrange on the Shure still do offer a great price to performance ratio but there is too much the R2 does better including the mids.
 
Concluding thoughts
 
What Flare have done here is in my opinion marvellous. I really like just about everything the R2Pro’s offer, sure I’d like a bit of improvement here and there but at the Kickstarter price I dare you to find anything as good. Don’t take statement too seriously but this hands down is the best single dynamic driver I have heard so far. Every genre of music sounds great through these comfort is amazing I am now just at a loss for what to say so I’ll stop.
 
I would not hesitate to at least grab the R2A’s if the Pros are a little out of budget but if you can get them. I can’t encourage anyone reading enough to jump on board, especially with the prices being offered with the Kickstarter still on your getting an unbeatable deal, you certainly won’t be disappointed. (For anyone looking to back the project just follow the link provided at the top of the review). It’s been an honour to listen to them and will now be my go to IEM for the foreseeable future, a benchmark has been set. Hope you’ve enjoyed the review any questions or comments feel free to fire away.