I would like to thank Brainwavz for the review sample of R3!
 
Brainwavz R3 is a dual dynamic drivers IEM. It has 2 dynamic drivers in each housing, facing each other into a sound blending chamber. R3 maybe the only IEM I know to use dual dynamic drivers in this configuration. Frankly, when I saw this configuration at the first time for IEM, I'm quite skeptic. I believe best sound for IEM configuration is to place the driver to face eardrum directly, as close as possible, without any nozzle or sound chamber. I'm a huge fan of Front Mounted Micro Driver (FMMD) architecture, where micro driver is placed at the front of the IEM nozzle directly facing the eardrum, to eliminate any coloration and distortion caused by nozzle and chamber. But I'm open to any IEM configuration or architecture, as long as it sounds good.
 
 


Picture from Brainwavz R3 product page.
 
R3 uses passive crossover, so it is a two ways design. I would say the coherency between the low frequency and the high frequency drivers is pretty good, clearly much better coherency than my MEElectronics M-Duo. I don't hear any obvious incoherency from the 2 ways design, maybe only a little, but I would say the 2 drivers blends pretty well. But the issue here, I don't hear much wider frequency coverage expected from a two ways system, compared to a one way, single driver IEM such as the Brainwavz S5. I don't hear extra low bass and upper treble extension on R3, frequency coverage is not better than a good single driver IEM.
 
 
Summary
Smooth organic sound with rather mid centric tonality. Its unique tonality makes some less friendly recordings (bright / harsh) sound friendlier to the ears. R3 might not be the champion for sound quality in this price range, but with the very solid build quality, it is built to last. R3 would be the IEM of choice for those looking for lasting and durable IEM.
 
Pros:
Extremely rugged, build like a tank.
Designed for both straight-down and over the ears wearing style.
Very good, above average noise isolation.
Various type and size of eartips are included, for flexible sound tuning and maximum comfort.
The famous Brainwavz semi-hard earphone case is included.
 
Cons:
The dual dynamic drivers architecture in R3 doesn't proof to be superior compared to a regular properly tuned single driver in the similar price category.
Over the ear cable of the review sample is found not to be properly angled for maximum fit and comfort.
Large housing size might not suit small ears.
Left and Right marking is not easily identified in dimly lit environment. There is no left dot / dimple near the left driver.

 
 

 
 
 
The Build
 

 
The earlier production batch of R3, before May 2014, has received a lot of criticism as having too long memory wire. As for the newer batch of R3, from May 2014 onward, so called R3 Revised Edition or R3 Ver.2, Brainwavz has removed the memory wire completely from R3, which is both good and bad. Good because there is no more ultra-long memory wire, and the plain cable jacket is generally more comfortable than memory wire. The bad, as some users have reported over the Internet, for over the ear wearing style the cable is not always properly angled to make the cable stays on the ear.  For the set I received, I found the left cable often dislodges from my left ear, but the right cable always stays in place. As you can see from the picture below, the left cable is angled outward therefore it is difficult to make the left cable to stays in place. The right cable is properly angled inward, therefore always stays in place. I'm not sure, for all R3, the angle of the left and right cable will always be the same like what I received, or it is different with every piece. If it is different, and you're buying R3, better check the angle of the cable before buying, for maximum comfort.  I think this is part of manufacturing fine-tuning that could have been overlooked by Brainwavz. I hope Brainwavz notices this issue and fix it for the newer production batch.
 
The angle of left and right cable when I let them fall naturally:


 
The preferred angle of the left and right cable for maximum fit & comfort:
 
What I like most from R3 is the build. The full metal housing is really nice. It seems to be the most rugged and durable IEM I've ever seen and have. From the mini jack, to cable, to the earphone housings, all feel very rugged. It seems to be built with military standard, to withstand tough environment and application. I always have to treat with care, my favourite IEM, DUNU DN-1000 and DN-2000. Always have a slight fear that the tiny cable won't last very long to hold the solid and heavy metal housings of the DUNUs. But not with R3. R3 is the IEM for those who simply need a rugged and durable IEM that don't require much care. 
 
The cable is relatively thick and a bit coiling, but the coiling memory effect is not very annoying. There are some IEMs with cable with much worse coiling memory effect.
 
 
R3 is a relatively large IEM. The dual dynamic drivers and the sound chamber do require space. Despite the large housing, I don't have any comfort issue with R3, even for long hours of usage. The large housing can still fit nicely in my ears concha. But please take note, that it might not be the case for everyone as we have large variety of ear shape and size. For my ears, R3 nozzle is long enough to give proper insertion. So for my ears, I don’t have issue with lacking of deep insertion. The nozzle has standard 4.5 mm neck diameter, compatible with many generic eartips. There is also very minimum driver flex when fitting R3 to the ears, so for those who easily irritated by driver flex, no need to worry about driver flex with R3.
 
 
 
 
The wires connecting the second driver are exposed; hopefully it won't reduce the durability of R3 from exposures to sweat and moisture.
 
 

The left and right marking are clear enough in a well-lit environment, but not clear enough in dimly lit environment.


 
 
Sound Quality
 
As for the sound quality, after using it for more than a month and about 100 hours of burn-in, I would say it is around 'Average' to 'Good', depending on the type of recordings. IMHO R3 doesn't perform well for classical and orchestral works, due to the mid centric tonality, slightly lacking of air, and relatively average size imaging. However R3 sounds better for modern music, such as electronic, pop, and other modern genres with closed miked recordings. Tonality is quite natural, leaning towards mid centric. Beside the mild and wide midrange hump, generally the tonal balance is pretty smooth from bass to treble, without any annoying peaks and dips. R3 tonality won't cause ears fatigue for long period of music listening. Although sometime it does sound a bit boring due to slightly lacking of punch, low bass and upper treble extension. R3 sounds smooth and organic, and not for those who prefer analytical sound signature. Its smooth and rather mellow sound signature actually makes it a very good choice for bright / harsh sounding recordings. R3 is generally easy to drive, but it is better to be paired with a rather powerful and slightly analytical sounding player, to improve the dynamic and treble sparkle.
 
Sound Signature: Natural warm, organic sound, & mildly mid-centric.
Freq Irregularity: Smooth, no irregular peaks and dips.
Bass Level & Quality: Average, slightly lacking of low bass extension and bass punch.
Midrange Level & Quality: Average, smooth and warm, but level of midrange detail could be improved.
Treble Level & Quality: Smooth & pleasing, but lacking upper treble extension. Not very good for classical music, slightly lacking of air.
Clarity: Average, below the clarity of Brainwavz S5, but not muddy or veiled.
Spaciousness: Average, doesn't sound very spacious.
Imaging: Average, instruments placement and separation are as clear and focused as Brainwavz S5.
Details & Separation: Average.
Dynamic & Punch: Average, not as good as its single driver brother, the Brainwavz S5.
Recording Recommendation: Modern genres (closed miked recording)
 
I've tried R3 with all the supplied eartips. The Comply T-500 is pretty good for R3, for those who prefer smooth and relax sound. For me, I prefer the default gray eartips for best tonality and comfort. I found eartips selection on R3 is not as critical as on the Brainwavz S5, and it is more to get the best comfort.
 
 
Comparison
 
I mostly compared R3 with its own sibling, the single driver Brainwavz S5. To me, sound quality wise, Brainwavz S5 is clearly the winner. S5 has better dynamic, clarity, detail, bass and treble extension, with wider and more spacious imaging. What disappoint me most is the dynamic. The dual 10 mm drivers don't punch as hard as the single 10 mm driver in Brainwavz S5. Brainwavz S5 as single driver IEM, has better dynamic than R3. Also my old favorite JVC FXD-80, single driver FMMD (Front Mounted Micro Driver), also has better dynamic than R3. So I don't hear any advantage of dual drivers in R3 architecture over a single driver, both from frequency coverage and dynamic. Having said that, R3 doesn't sound bad, but as dual drivers IEM, its performance is not better than some decent single driver dynamic. So I don't hear the benefit of R3 dual drivers configuration.
 
As I've reviewed other dual dynamic drivers IEMs before, and having some of those such as ATH-IM50 and ATH-IM70, TDK IE800, MEElec M-Duo, & Narmoo S1, in my opinion R3 only wins against MEElectronics M-Duo, but not better than the rest of the dual dynamic drivers IEMs in my collection.
 
 
Tonality wise, when paired with good source and amp such my ifi micro iDSD, R3 sounds pretty good. It does need some steroid from powerful amp like the one in micro iDSD to makes it produce some punch.
 
I did read some very good reviews about R3. Some even prefer it over the S5. Here are some links:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/brainwavz-r3-revised-edition
http://www.head-fi.org/t/701034/brainwavz-r3-review
http://www.head-fi.org/t/688928/brainwavz-r3-review
And not to mentioned many 5 stars reviews on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Brainwavz-Dual-Dynamic-Driver-Earphones/dp/B00G4V0QSK#
 
Having read those reviews, it makes me thing that the R3 I received probably doesn't sound as good as theirs. Some reviewers said R3 has clear detailed audio with a clean bass. Which is not what I hear from the set I received, at least compared to Brainwavz S5. Another possibility could be some variation of sound quality from different production batch. Or it could be simply a matter of individual preferences and different preference of recordings. Though sound quality wise R3 is not in the top list of my preferred IEM, Brainwavz R3 has proven itself to attract its own fans from the number of positive reviews.




 
 
Specifications:
Transducers/Drivers: Dual Dynamic, 10mm
Crossover: Passive
Rated Impedance: 32ohms
Sensitivity: 95dB at 1mW
Frequency range: 20Hz ~ 20KHz
Maximum input power:  2mW
Cable length: 1.4m, Y cord, OFC Copper.
Plug: 3.5mm gold plated, 45 degree.
24 months warranty.
 
Included Accessories:
1 x Comply foam T-series tip
6 x Silicone tips
1 x Bi-Flage tip
1 x Tri-Flange tip
1 x 6.3mm to 3.5mm audio adapter
1 x Airplane adapter
1 x Earphone carrying case
1 x Instruction manual

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Equipment used in this review
ifi micro iDSD: Powerful and excellent sounding DAC + HeadAmp combo. Transparent, detailed, and powerful. Slightly lean to analytical sounding.
Audioquest Dragonfly v1.0c: DAC + HeadAmp combo. Marvelous little DAC. Transparent, airy, and powerful. Slightly lean to analytical sounding.
iBasso DX90: Portable player. Natural sounding, not warm and not analytical. Good dynamic, detail and resolution.
Fiio X5: Portable player. Natural warm, very smooth & musical. Sounds a tad warmer than DX90. Good dynamic, detail and resolution.
Fiio X3: Portable player. Powerful, balanced sounding with good bass and sparkling treble.
 
 
Recordings used for this review

 

Hybrid 3 ways: 2x Balance Armature + 1x 10mm Dynamic driver
http://www.dunu-topsound.com/DN-2000.html
 
Update 30 July 2015:
I decided to raise the rating to 5 stars after I using it with more players, amps, and DACS, and did more comparisons with other IEMs. My hearing now perceive it as one of the flattest and balanced tonality IEM I've ever used, and no longer slightly mid centric as I perceived before.
 

 
I've let around 6 of my friends (non head-fier's) to try DN-2000, without first telling them how much it cost, or what technology behind it, simply just ask them to try it, and to see their initial honest impression. All impressions were an honest "WOW". They simply amazed by how beautiful DN-2000 sounds. DN-2000 does have that initial ‘Wow’ factor. But frankly, after using them regularly for about a month now, that wow factor does fade a little on me. I guess it is simply because the bass is a bit lacking to my liking.
 
 'Highly refined sonic character' maybe the simplest way to describe DN-2000 sound signature. It has natural tonal balance with very good level of detail and resolution. Wide frequency coverage from very low bass to upper treble, in a natural manner, flat smooth without any annoying peak and dip. Clarity and transparency are good, without sounding analytic. Spacious and open sounding, with very focused and clear imaging. Very clear instrument separation and placement. DN-2000 renders the room or hall reverberation very clearly in a natural manner. Somehow I can hear room's reverberation easier on DN-2000, better than DN-1000 and FX850. I notice this quality when I was listening the album of Dr. Chesky's Sensational, Fantastic, and Simply Amazing Binaural Sound Show. DN-2000 is simply sensational with binaural recordings. Maybe one of the best IEM for binaural recordings.
 
I was expecting DN-2000 to be an upgrade from my favorite DN-1000, but in my opinion, it is not. They have different sound signature, and I don't consider DN-1000 (with the JVC EP-FX8 eartips) inferior to DN-2000. IMHO both DN-1000 and DN-2000 are in the same level of top quality IEMs. It is a matter of personal sonic preferences, they are great in their own way.
 

 
Midrange is the strength of DN-2000, sweet, smooth, spacious, and detailed. Simply charming and beautiful midrange. A tad warmer than DN-1000, but not as warm as FX850. The midrange could be beautifully mesmerizing, but the quality is highly dependent on the headphone amplifier. When the pairing is not optimal, the midrange sounds loose, lacking definition, with nasal-sounding vocal. There is a little emphasize on 400-600 Hz area on DN-2000, but the intensity is quite different from player to player. I heard the highest intensity of that mid hump is when DN-2000 paired with DX90. For recording like the Chesky ‘The World Greatest Audiophile Vocal Recording’, I hear a rather annoying nasal sound on the vocal, slightly stronger than what I perceived as natural vocal sound. The midrange also sounds a bit glaring, and less detailed. This unnatural nasal sound and ‘midrange glaring’ could be one of the indications of whether the player / amp are a good matching for DN-2000 or not. From the gears used in this review, the DACs and amp seem to be more capable to drive DN-2000 properly than the DAPs. Fiio E12DIY with AD8599 Op-Amp + LME49600 buffer is one of my favourite amp for DN-2000. The ring adjustment reduces this mid hump. The silver ring gives me the most balanced tonal balanced with the 2K Tips.
 

 

Comparing the headphone output of DX90 and the headphone output of Fiio E12DIY using DIY switch box.
 
DN-2000 somehow reminds me of my Beyerdynamic T1. They don’t share the same tonality, but there are some midrange qualities that make my mind relate it to my T1. Most probably the sweet, smooth, spacious, and detailed midrange of DN-2000. T1 still excels in detail, but DN-2000 as an IEM, also has an excellent level of detail. Using foobar equalizer, I tried to equalize DN-2000 to mimic T1 tonal balance, to observe the difference of bass and treble level between the two. The estimated result is, DN-2000 has about 4 dB more bass (80 Hz downward), and about 3 dB less treble (8 kHz onward) than T1. To my ears, only from the tonal balance perspective, I prefer DN-2000 tonal balance than the T1's. I always feel my T1 is a bit bright and lacking a bit bass. But T1 as a full size headphone is still better in detail and spaciousness. This is just a simplistic comparison to give some idea of how DN-2000 sounds in comparison to T1. In this comparison, I used Yulong DA8 headphone output for DN-2000, and Yulong A28 balanced headphone output for T1.
 
Bass has very good low bass extension, good body, and at natural level. But bass rather lacking of bass slam and impact. Bass level is the lowest among the 3, but still considered natural and far from anaemic bass. Simple EQ to shelf-up 50-80 Hz region improves the bass nicely. On foobar I just need around 2-3 dB shelf-up on 55 & 77 Hz, and then gently roll down. But on my DAP like DX90 and X5, sometime more than 3-4 dB boost is what I like. All EQ don't behave in the same manner, so the level of bass boost might vary.
 
When reading user impressions on the impression thread, mostly agree that the bass although extends low but lacking of punch and impact, and the midrange is very beautiful. But for the treble, there are mix impressions. Some say the treble rolls off early, some say neutral, some say bright. I did experience both the treble that sounds roll off early and neutral. I don’t experience bright treble, unless the recording is bright and DN-2000 just honestly reveals it. As mentioned before, DN-2000 quite sensitive with the amplifier. With Fiio X5 headphone output I hear soft treble that lacks of extension, but when connected to Fiio E12DIY amplifier with input from Fiio X5 line out, the treble extension is open up and DN-2000 treble sounds neutral and very transparent, especially when using the silver ring adjustment.
 

 
DN-2000 with the stock 2K eartips, without ring adjustment, treble is silky smooth and slightly softer than the midrange level. Treble extension is reasonably good, and I don't consider the treble rolls off early, but treble is not as airy as DN-1000. The midrange level is slightly more dominant than the treble, especially when listening classical music at low volume. I do prefer to have slightly more airy treble when listening classical. But for Chesky and other modern genres recordings, treble and midrange sound balanced. So I consider the DN-2000 treble is sometime on the softer side of neutral, but not lacking and not bright. Silver ring helps to improve the soft treble to a more balance level with the midrange.
 
Treble quality is good, no annoying peak and dip, very smooth and sounds natural, although slightly less airy when compared to DN-1000. DN-2000 treble is affected by the value of the amplifier output impedance, so always use amplifier with less than 10 ohms output impedance for best treble clarity and transparency. Not only output impedance, but also the amplifier high frequency characteristic can be easily heard from the perceived treble quality.
 
Overall dynamic is good, lively, & never sounds compressed. But bass dynamic is just average due to slightly lacking of bass slam and impact.
 
Many multi drivers IEM suffers from incoherency between the drivers, that the drivers don't sound coherently in the same phase, like an ideal one single driver. This is mostly caused by the less than optimum crossover circuit, or the drivers don't have the same speed, as the woofer usually heavier and slower than the tweeter. From what I hear, DN-2000 does not suffer from any incoherency. Coherency is excellent on DN-2000 when properly paired with matching amplifier.
 
Beside the grey 2K silicone eartips, Comply T-500 foam eartips is my next favourite eartips for DN-2000, especially for classical music, for a more airy sound. Comply T-500 sounds slightly better than DN-2000 stock foam eartips, less bright, with a more natural airy treble. The JVC EP-FX8 eartips are not very good on DN-2000, sound thin and bright, lacking of bass and midrange body.
 
I tried all the ring adjustment, and I prefer the tonal balance of the 2K Tips with silver ring. The silver ring reduces the mids level a little bit, and improves the bass and treble level. But I’m also fine with the tonality without any ring. The blue and red rings shape the tonality more towards V shape tonality.
 
DN-2000 might not be for bass lover. Those who are looking for powerful bass with good bass slam and impact better look elsewhere. But for those who are looking for natural tonal balance with highly refined sonic characteristic will find DN-2000 is hard to beat at any price level.
 

 
 
 
Tonality: Natural with slight warm accent. Smooth, refined, and detailed. Slight emphasize on the midrange area.
Bass: Natural in level, good bass body, extends very low, but rather lacking in bass punch and impact.
Midrange: Simply very natural, beautiful & refined. Slightly fuller, warmer, and more forward than DN-1000.
Treble: Silky smooth and detailed, slightly softer then the midrange level, good clarity but slightly lacking of airiness.
Detail: Very detailed, but in a natural way, not in an exaggerated way like what we use to hear on analytic IEMs.
Imaging: Spacious and 3 dimensional, renders room acoustic in natural manner.
Dynamic and Transient: Bass dynamic is a bit weak and not so realistic, but midrange to treble sound fast and realistic.
Noise isolation: Good.
Comfort: DN-2000, like DN-1000 has large diameter nozzle, around 5.8 mm diameter. This large nozzle could be an issue for small ear canals. For me, DN-2000 is very comfortable, as comfortable as the DN-1000. I always wear it over the ears, so the grey silicone fins are not useful for me. Shape wise, I prefer the DN-1000 housing, smooth bullet shape, without the hook for the silicone fin. 
 

 
Build & design: Housing design doesn’t look as good and durable as DN-1000. Hard edges are prone to dent and scratches.
 

DN-2000 after around 1 month of use. Some scratches on the hard edges.
 
 
Burn-In
I didn’t notice any significant changes before and after 2 days burn-in.
 
Effect of high output impedance amplifier
Multi drivers IEM tonal balance is usually prone to amplifier output impedance due to their crossover circuit.  Tonal balance could change drastically with the change of amplifier output impedance, like what I found with ATH-IM02, where the treble level increases quite a lot with the increase of amplifier output impedance.
 
In this review I use the two outputs of LH Geek Out 450 for the test, one with 0.47 ohm output impedance (low Z), the other one with 47 ohms output impedance (high Z). I noticed when moving from low Z to high Z output, the treble level reduced, resulting a warmer and less transparent sound. The differences is mild to moderate, not really extreme. The high output impedance causes DN-2000 treble rolls off early. DACport has around 10 ohms output impedance, and DN-2000 sounds wonderful with DACport. I also tested with a DIY extension that I put 22 ohms resistor in series in the connector, treble level reduction started to become too evident, but generally still acceptable. So I conclude that DN-2000 still performs quite well with amplifier output impedance up to 20 ohm, which is practically acceptable. Beyond 20 ohms treble will start to sound too soft. For those with high output impedance player or DAC, like 1st gen AK100 (20 ohms) or old version of Meridian Explorer DAC (50 ohms), or when using smart phone that generally has rather high output impedance headphone output (in the range of 50 ohms), please take note.
 
More reading here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/705687/review-of-audio-technica-ath-im01-ath-im02-ath-im03-ath-im04-ath-im50-ath-im70#post_10270915
 
On DN-2000, low output impedance will improve clarity and transparency, while high output impedance will reduces the clarity and transparency. Output impedance of 10 ohms or lower is recommended for best performance. Output impedance higher than 20 ohm is not recommended, as DN-2000 started to lose too much treble clarity & transparency.
 
Gears matching
Although DN-2000 is relatively easy to drive, and doesn't require large voltage swing to drive it, it does demand for good pairing, and also reveals the sound quality of the player / amp quite transparently. When it doesn't sound so good, don't quickly blame DN-2000, because it might just reveals the truth of the source sound quality, or simply it doesn’t pair well with the amplifier.
 
I don’t find my Fiio X5 and iBasso DX90 pair well with DN-2000. For DN-2000, Fiio X5 headphone output lacks of clarity, sounds like it has sharp and early low pass filter that reduces the treble clarity and transparency. While on DX90, the midrange sounds a bit loose, kind of amplifying the 400-600 Hz hump, which makes vocal sounds a little nasal-sounding. But when using the line output of the DAP, connected to Fiio E12DIY headphone amplifier, the combo sounds great on DN-2000, much better well driven bass and midrange, and much better clarity and transparency. Also improves upper treble extension. So DN-2000 does demand for good quality amplification, and quite picky on that. For my case, for portable setup, to use my Fiio E12DIY for my DAP is kind of a must for DN-2000, because I simply not really satisfied with the sound quality of DN-2000 when driven directly from my X5 and DX90, even though both DAPs have low output impedance on their headphones output.
 
Some of the best pairing would be with:
Yulong Sabre DA8, Centrance DACport, Dragonfly, & Fiio E12DIY with AD8599 Op-Amp + LME49600 buffer.
 
Geek Out 450 sounds great as well, but DN-2000 has better chemistry with the above.
I found with DN-2000, Geek Out 450 background noise is audible, more audible than other IEMs. Although it is just a very soft hiss noise. Besides that, GO 450 is also too powerful for DN-2000. I only have around a maximum of 18 levels of volume to play with, and normally my listening volume would be around 12-15 on windows volume fader.
 

 
 
Pros:
One of the best sounding IEM from the natural and refined sound perspective, regardless of the price.
Optimum sound from stock eartips, with other various types of eartips and ring adjustment for flexible sound tuning.
Easy to drive, doesn't require high voltage swing. But low output impedance of 10 ohms or lower is recommended.
Both straight down and over the ears wearing style.
Good build quality with solid metal housing.
Sounds good out of the box requires no or minimum burn-in.
Soft and flexible cable with no coiling memory effect.
 
Cons:
Quite particular with equipment pairing. But very rewarding when paired right.
Slighlty lacking of bass slam and impact.
Large nozzle limits the choices of third party eartips, and might not fit small ear canal.
Driver flex. For some people driver flex matters, for me it is not. Many of my IEMs have driver flex issue, and I don't consider it as an issue.
Relatively small cable for the relatively heavy housing. I hope the small cable will last.
Non-detachable Cable.
Hard edges at the outer part of the housing are prone to dent and scratches.
The hook for the silicone fin might cause discomfort.
 
Suggestion for improvement (maybe for DN-3000):
In my opinion, DN-1000 smooth bullet shape is better and more elegant than DN-2000 shape with hook and silicone wing. I suggest DUNU to collect some user feedback for the design, whether the silicone wing, or the smooth bullet shape is preferable. Hard edges are to be avoided.
The bass. I suggest DUNU to get Audio Technica ATH-CKR9, and let it burn-in for 200 hours, after that analyze the CKR9 bass quality. If DN-3000 can have CKR9 bass, DN-2000 midrange, and a more airy treble, it simply will become the best IEM in the world.
To include Comply T-500 foam eartips in the package.
Detachable cable with balanced cable included.
Ring adjustment is too thin and loose. It’s better if the ring is thicker with some grip to the nozzle.
 
 
Specifications:
Type : Hybrid 3 ways
Driver Unit : 1x Knowles Twin Balance Armature + 1x 10mm Dynamic driver
Frequency Response : 10 - 30,000 Hz
Impedance : 16 ohms
SPL : 102 +/- 2 dB
Plug : L shape 3.5mm 24 Gold plated stereo Mini plug
Cord Length : 1.2m Y shape OFC cable
Detachable Cable : No
Left & Right marking : Clear. Left dot & L/R print on housing.
Weight : 22g
Accessories : 9 sets of silicone eartips, 1 sets of foam eartips, 1 pair of Earhook, 3.5mm Female to 6.5mm Male Adapter, 3.5mm Female to 2-pin Male Adapter, Aluminum alloy box, 6 pairs of metal adjustment ring, 4 pairs of fitting rubber, Shirt Clip. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

‘Genghis Khan’ in Mongolian text is engraved on the DN-2000 metal housing.
 
Discussion thread here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/727286/review-and-comparison-of-dunu-dn-1000-dn-2000-jvc-ha-fx850

Hybrid 3 ways: 2x Balance Armature + 1x 10mm Dynamic driver
http://www.dunu-topsound.com/DN-1000.html
 

 
I was a bit disappointed with DN-1000 when I tried it out of the box. The treble was a bit metallic with the stock silicone eartips. The first few weeks with DN-1000, I used foam eartips, Comply T-500, that smoothen the treble, made the DN-1000 sounds very open and airy, but a bit lacking in bass. Until I did some experiments with more eartips, and found the silicone eartips from my JVC HA-FXD80 give the best sound and tonal balance for my DN-1000. Treble from the foam eartips & bass from the silicone eartips. Best of both worlds. It was a very happy moment, and I was not alone. I was with my friend Leo who is a sound engineer, and for hours we listened to DN-1000 with the JVC HA-FXD80 silicone eartips. We have same conclusion, very good tonal balance on the whole spectrum, without any annoying peaks and dips. Simply, we didn't find anything to fault the combination. From that moment, the JVC FXD80 tips stay on my DN-1000.
 
With the JVC eartips, DN-1000 sounds very balanced, realistic, and most important, very musical and fun sounding. DN-1000 has the realistic type of natural tonal balance, with no emphasize and deemphasize on any region of the frequency, just perfectly smooth and balanced. Good bass, clear mids, smooth and airy high, with good dynamic and lively sounding. Very good detail and transparency without sounding analytical. Truly an excellent all-rounder. With the JVC EP-FX8 eartips, sibilance is very well controlled without sacrificing clarity and transparency. I have no idea how the JVC EP-FX8 eartips do it, maybe there is a little bit of 'smoothening' on the treble, just slightly to remove most sibilance, without sacrificing treble detail. The result is simply amazing. Open, airy, transparent, without sibilance.The JVC EP-FX8 eartips is simply the 'missing secret ingredient' from the DN-1000 package.
 

 
Mids to treble transient is fast, and clarity is crystal clear, but i don't consider it sounds analytical. I guess it is due to the matching dynamic driver with the BA drivers, the dynamic driver seamlessly adds body to the midrange, creating clear and smooth midrange that never sounds dry or analytic. While the JVC EP-FX8 eartips smoothen the treble without reducing transparency and airiness. Balanced, smooth, transparent, and very musical, maybe the best way to describe how DN-1000 sounds with JVC EP-FX8 eartips.
 
Bass level and dynamic is better than DN-2000, better balance with the midrange. Only a few dB better, but since DN-1000 midrange is flatter and more balanced with the rest of the spectrum, not slightly emphasized like DN-2000, bass has better presence and body, and slightly better slam and punch than DN-2000 bass. But bass level is still far from basshead level. FX850 bass level in this case, is closer to basshead level. DN-1000 Bass power and dynamic is good and realistic, and low bass extension is nicely present in realistic level. But overall bass quality is not as good as ATH-CKR9 bass. CKR9 bass has better detail, texture, power and dynamic. I don't mean DN-1000 bass quality is bad, the bass is good. It is just that I ever heard better quality bass from other IEM, which is the ATH-CKR9. So there is still room for improvement for DN-1000 bass, especially on bass tightness and texture.
 
Imaging is impressively spacious and 3 dimensional, almost comparable to the excellent imaging of DN-2000, and sounds slightly more airy and open sounding than DN-2000, maybe due to higher level of treble in comparison to the mids. Instrument separation and placement is clear and focused, although DN-2000 is slightly clearer and more sharply focused. Imaging of the two is like comparing a very good quality consumer grade lens with a professional grade lens. Both are sharp, but the professional lens is slightly sharper. Listening to Chesky binaural recordings, DN-2000 gives slightly more realistic of the 3D imaging than the DN-1000. But DN-1000 imaging is still better than FX850 for binaural recording 3D imaging.
 
Beside the JVC EP-FX8 silicone eartips, Comply T-500 foam eartips is also my next favorite eartips for DN-1000, like on DN-2000. Comply T-500 + the silver adjustment ring gives a more airy sound, while retaining good bass. If you cannot get JVC EP-FX8 silicone eartips, try Comply T-500 + the silver adjustment ring. Another awesome combination for DN-1000.
 
I tried all the ring adjustment, and I prefer no ring for JVC EP-FX8 eartips, and silver ring for Comply T-500. 
 
DN-1000 sounds fun and musical for all the recordings I tried. IMHO, DN-1000 using JVC EP-FX8 eartips has the better 'all-rounder' tonality of the 3. It goes really well with all genres and recordings in my collection, from medieval classical to Baroque, Pop, Jazz, Movie soundtrack, to Dub Colossus, all sounds great and enjoyable! But I didn't try Rock music, because I don't have any. Being the cheapest of the 3, DN-1000 holds it's ground very well to be in the same class with DN-2000 and FX850. But please note, only when using the JVC EP-FX8 eartips. 
 

 
 
 
Tonality: Natural-realistic tonality, good bass, transparent, open sounding, smooth, and very musical. Slightly less refined than DN-2000, especially in level of detail, but can be musically more engaging.
Bass: Natural & realistic, a few dB higher than DN-2000, better bass slam and sounds more realistic. Very good low bass extension. Bass tightness and texture can be improved.
Midrange: Natural, open sounding, and smooth. Not warm and not analytic.
Treble: Clear and transparent, with good treble sparkle and upper treble extension. Might sound a bit metallic with some sibilance when using stock silicone eartips, but not with the JVC EP-FX8 eartips.
Detail: Good level of detail in a natural way, slightly less detailed than DN-2000, but better than FX850.
Imaging: Spacious and 3 dimensional.
Dynamic and Transient: Bass dynamic is good, better than DN-2000, but not as fast as the midrange and treble. Midrange to treble transient is fast and realistic.
Noise isolation: Good.
Comfort: DN-1000 has large diameter nozzle, around 5.8 mm diameter. This large nozzle could be an issue for small ear canals. As for me, DN-1000 is very comfortable.
Build & design: Housing is rather heavy, but very solid. Build quality and design is excellent, looks much better than DN-2000. Smooth bullet shape without any hard edges.
 

My DN-1000 after 6 months of daily usage, looks better than my 1 month old DN-2000.
 
 
Burn-In
I didn’t notice any significant changes before and after 2 days burn-in.
 
Effect of high output impedance amplifier
Explanation on DN-2000 section.
Similar as DN-2000, on DN-1000, low output impedance will improve clarity and transparency, while high output impedance will reduces the clarity, transparency, and also bass dynamic. Bass is a bit sloppy on high impedance output. Low output impedance of 20 ohms or lower is recommended.
 
 
Gears matching
Generally DN-1000 is not very picky on gears, not like DN-2000, maybe due to its balance and fun sound signature. I would say all the gears mentioned here sound great with DN-1000. Fiio X5 headphone output that sounds lacking in transparency on DN-2000, performs much better on DN-1000. Although still not as transparent as the Fiio E12DIY amp, but I don’t feel the treble is lacking.
Some gears that I found sound especially good with DN-1000 would be Yulong DA8, DACport, Dragonfly, and Fiio E12DIY amplifier with AD8599 Op-Amp + LME49600 buffer. 
 

 
 
Pros:
One of the best sounding IEM from the balanced, realistic, and musical sounding perspective, regardless of the price.
Easy to drive, doesn't require high voltage swing. But low output impedance of 20 ohms or lower is recommended.
Comes with various types of eartips and ring adjustment for flexible sound tuning.
Both straight down and over the ears wearing style.
Good build quality with solid metal housing.
Sounds good out of the box requires no or minimum burn-in.
Soft and flexible cable with no coiling memory effect.
 
Cons:
Bass tightness and texture can be improved.
Large nozzle limits the choices of third party eartips, and might not fit small ear canal.
Stock eartips found to be less than optimum compared with 3rd party silicone eartips, for DN-1000 to sound at its best.
Driver flex, mostly with stock silicone tips, much less, to no driver flex with JVC EP-FX8 eartips.
Relatively small cable for the relatively heavy housing. I hope the small cable will last.
Non-detachable Cable.
 
Suggestion for improvement:
Bass tightness and texture.
To include JVC EP-FX8 kind of eartips and Comply T-500 in the package.
Detachable cable with balanced cable included.
Ring adjustment is too thin and loose. It’s better if the ring is thicker with some grip to the nozzle.
 
 
Specifications:
Type : Hybrid 3 ways
Driver Unit : 1x Knowles Twin Balance Armature + 1x 10mm Dynamic driver
Frequency Response : 16 - 22,000 Hz
Impedance  : 10 ohms
SPL : 98 +/- 2 dB
Plug : L shape 3.5mm 24 Gold plated stereo Mini plug
Cord Length : 1.2m Y shape OFC cable
Detachable Cable : No
Left & Right marking : Clear. Left dot & L/R print on housing.
Weight : 26g
Accessories : 10 sets of silicone eartips, 4 sets of foam eartips, 1 pair of Earhook, 3.5mm Female to 6.5mm Male Adapter, 3.5mm Female to 2-pin Male Adapter, Aluminum alloy box, 4 pairs of metal adjustment ring. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Discussion thread here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/727286/review-and-comparison-of-dunu-dn-1000-dn-2000-jvc-ha-fx850

 

 
This is my first Brainwavz earphones, many thanks to Brainwavz for the review sample!
 
When I wrote this review, I have used it for almost 2 weeks, around 2 hours daily. A happy ending journey, that was started with a not so happy beginning.
 
Out of the box, first impression, S5 sounded bright to me. Rather too bright for my liking. Owning some other bright headphones and earphones, I thought S5 is tuned as a clear and bright sounding IEM. Then i let it burn-in for about 2 days.
 
After 2 days burn-in, i didn't hear any improvement, basically still bright sounding. 'V' shape sounding that is more like a checkmark '✓ ' shape, where the treble boost around 5-7 kHz is much more pronounced than the bass boost. I brought it to office, to let a friend of mine who is a sound engineer, to try it. After a few hours with S5, same impression, S5 was too bright for him as well. I started to wonders, as some other reviewers here didn't hear S5 as bright earphones.
http://www.head-fi.org/t/725340/brainwavz-s5-iem-headphones-review/330#post_10735721
 
The next day, i tried different eartips. First, the tri-flanges.  Wow wow wow!  I was really surprised with the changes. The S5 now sounds very balanced, not bright anymore. I let my friend tried it again; he thought i gave him a different set of earphones. We were really surprised with the changes.
 
Curious with the drastic changes, i tried back the stock grey tips, and no more excessive treble...! What was wrong initially??? We did feel proper seal, and the slightly boosted bass confirming that it wasn't seal problem. but initially the treble was too much. After eartips replacement, the sound became balanced, and i couldn't reproduce the bright sound character anymore. Was it because the grey eartips were not properly fitted from the factory, or S5 suddenly changed its tonal balance after around 3 days of burn-in and use?  I'm not sure what was the cause of the 4-5 dB excessive treble initially, and what caused the sudden changed of the treble level. It remains a mystery to me and my friend.
 
From a review by [color=rgb(34, 34, 156)]shotgunshane[/color] here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/brainwavz-s5-in-ear-headphones/reviews/11349 
I have the impression that his S5 is also the bright sounding one, and still bright sounding.  While my S5 has changed its tonality becoming a more balanced sounding IEM.
 
From my experience, if it happens that you feel your S5 is bright sounding, I suggest the following:
1. Try different eartips.
2. Continuous burn-In for around 3-4 days.
 
Now, with all the supplied eartips, S5 sound signature is relatively balanced, only slightly bright. Best sound achieved with the tri-flanges, which sound SO MUCH better than other eartips. I've read many other reviews of Brainwavz S5, and some impressions are varied quite significantly. So 'Your Millage Might Vary'. To be fair to Brainwavz, my evaluation in this review will be based on the best performance the S5 can achieve during the evaluation period.
 
 
 

 
 
Summary (based on Tri-flanges eartips)

Balanced & transparent is the best way to describe Brainwavz S5 tonality. Brainwavz S5 is neither warm sounding, nor analytical. Tonality sounds quite natural, slightly V shape, in between warm and analytical, lean slightly to the analytical side. I don't hear any annoying peaks and dips on the tonality, pretty smooth from bass to treble. Bass has good power and punch, mids and treble are clean, clear, and transparent.  Detail and clarity are good, no veil at all, music always sound clear and detailed, although S5 is not yet into the level of ultra-revealing IEM. 
 
With tri-flanges eartips, imaging is quite wide and spacious. Almost at the level of ATH-IM02 wide and spacious imaging. With other eartips, imaging is not as spacious, but still reasonably spacious and never sound congested.
 
Tri-flanges eartip is the absolute necessity to get the highest level of sound quality from S5.
 
Though relatively easy to drive, S5 does require gear matching to sounds best, and scales up pretty well with good sources.
 
In summary, Brainwavz S5 strikes a good balanced in tonality, and has very good dynamic, detail, and imaging. A balanced, transparent, and musical sounding earphones, that is simply an excellent all-rounder in its class.
 
 
Performance score for sub $100 IEM category:
4.5 stars out of 5 stars at its best performance, with the tri-flanges eartips and matching players.
3.5 stars out of 5 stars at its worst performance.
 
 
 
Equipment
 
 

 
Centrance DACport: DAC + HeadAmp combo. Very organic and musical sounding. very smooth sounding treble, pretty close to AD8599. Always match very well with bright or analytical sounding earphones & headphones.
Audioquest Dragonfly v1.0c: DAC + HeadAmp combo. Marvelous little DAC. Transparent, airy, and powerful. Slightly lean to analytical sounding.
Light Harmonic Geek Out 450 v10.02: DAC + HeadAmp combo. Newest mini DAC in my arsenal, very powerful and detailed sounding. Sound signature is closer to the Dragonfly than to DACport. Lean a little bit to sterile sounding.
iBasso DX90: Portable player. Natural sounding, not warm and not analytical. Good dynamic, detail and resolution.
Fiio X5: Portable player. Natural warm, very smooth & musical. Sounds a tad warmer than DX90. Good dynamic, detail and resolution.
Fiio X3: Portable player. Powerful, balanced sounding with good bass and sparkling treble.
 
 
 
Sound Signature (using Tri-flanges eartips & AudioQuest Dragonfly 1.0c)
 
S5 Clarity and detail are very good, although not yet at the level of highly revealing IEM. Clarity and transparency varies significantly between players and DACs, best transparency I heard is from AudioQuest Dragonfly. But even with the lowest transparency setup, clarity and detail are not lacking. I do prefer more detail when listening to Chesky binaural recordings, so Dragonfly will be my DAC of choice. But for other close miked modern recordings, I might pair it with warmer sounding DAC such as the DACport. As a single dynamic driver, S5 clarity and detail is better than my ATH-IM50 and ATH-IM70. That is a very good achievement from a single dynamic driver. Paired with Dragonfly, detail and clarity almost reaching the level of detail & clarity of BA drivers IEMs such as ATH-IM02 or DUNU DN-1000.  I consider the level of detail and clarity of S5 are excellent at this price category.
 
Imaging is wide and spacious, sounds more spacious than ATH-IM50, ATH-IM70, and TDK IE800. But not as spacious as ATH-IM02, DUNU DN-1000, and DUNU DN-2000. Especially using the tri-flanges, imaging and spaciousness are pretty awesome. Although other eatips don't sound as spacious, S5 never sounds congested.
 
S5 has very good dynamic to make music sounds realistic. Better than TDK IE800 and Fostex TE-05 dynamic, but not yet at the level of ATH-CKR9 dynamic. Listening to 'Mombasa', movie soundtrack from Inception, I heard much better bass impact and dynamic on S5 than TE-05. About the same level of dynamic as UE TF10, and only slightly less when compared to ATH-IM50 and ATH-IM70. When it comes to dynamic it's hard to beat the dual dynamic drivers IEMs from Audio Technica, such as the IM50, IM70, CKR9, and CKR10 that I've reviewed earlier. But having said that, the single dynamic in S5 is no slouch either, and could deliver pretty good level of dynamic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUwszL6J81I
 
Bass is slightly on the upper side of what often perceived as neutral. To me this is the bass level that I like, realistic bass, not bland and boring bass. I don't like bass level that is lower than S5 bass level. Bass has pretty good power and punch, but not extraordinary tight and punchy. Bass doesn't colour the midrange and nicely blends with the mids. S5 is not considered as a bassy IEM. Bass level is not as strong as ATH-IM50 and ATH-IM70 bass. Bass lover may better go with ATH-IM50 and ATH-IM70. S5 bass is more or less pretty close to UE TF10 bass level, but bass emphasis is on different area. TF10 emphasizes more on mid-bass, S5 more on bass to low bass area. S5 low bass extension is very good. I tested using my 20Hz - 60Hz Risset-Drum beats I created using Audacity, S5 performs flawlessly. Clean and clear down to 20 Hz. Very good quality bass.
 
Midrange is smooth and clear. Slightly on the lean side of natural, vocal sounds smooth and clear, instead of warm and full bodied. When we are used to IEM with warm and full bodied mids, S5 midrange might sounds a little recessed. But those from the analytical side might consider S5 mids level quite natural. The good thing is, the mids sounds quite smooth & natural, without any annoying peaks and dips on its spectrum. And that is very important. I won't bother to review and spend my time on any IEM with highly coloured midrange. Smooth and relatively natural sounding midrange is the first criteria for me to choose an IEM, and S5 pass with pretty good result.
 
Treble is sparkling rich, with very good transparency. I use classical music to evaluate transparency, and usually avoid any IEM that is lacking in transparency for classical music. S5 transparency is excellent for classical music. Enough air and upper treble extension for classical music to be enjoyable. S5 transparency is better than TDK IE800, ATH-IM50 and ATH-IM70, but may not as transparent as ATH-IM02. Somewhere in between, pretty close to ATH-IM02. Tri-flanges eartips greatly improves S5 transparency and clarity, better than other eartips.
 
Probably one of the most important topic for treble is sibilance. For those who have Celine Dion album 'All the Way...A Decade of Song', might agree that the mix is quite bright, and better played using slightly dark and warm sounding IEM. Surprisingly, S5 with the tri-flanges, while still renders the transparency of the mix quite well, also manage the high level of treble really well without sounding ear-piercing. Only mild sibilance with 'vibrant treble' recordings. Amazing! But expect higher level of sibilance with other eartips.
After the treble metamorphosis mentioned earlier, S5 treble is more towards the silky smooth type of treble rather than the metallic and ear-piercing type. With tri-flanges eartips, S5 treble always clear and transparent with excellent sibilance management.
 
Comfort and noise isolation:
Comfort is good from my perspective. I always wear it over the ears, although it is possible to wear them straight down. I don't find any comfort issue so far, though I think round cable is nicer than the rather big flat cable. Cable microphonics is minimum when worn over the ears.
Most of the time I use tri-flanges eatips with no comfort issue.
Noise isolation is very good, better than average I would say. Maybe also due to the tri-flanges eartips that I use.
 
 
 
Gears and Music selection

Brainwavz S5 is generally a good all-rounder, pretty good performer from classical to modern genres recordings. But players or sources also play a great role here. With Light Harmonic Geek Out 450 and Centrance DACport for example, I have better impressions with modern genres recordings, especially those close miked recordings, like for pops, my Stockfisch albums, and other guitar-oriented recordings. With those DACs, Acoustic guitar sounds naturally sparkling and detailed without getting to the level of fatiguing. Simply beautiful. But with those DACs, S5 might not transparent enough for classical and binaural recordings (at least for my preferences). Paired with AudioQuest Dragonfly, S5 sounds clearer and more transparent, maybe a bit too clear for pop albums, but much better for binaural recordings like the Chesky binaural albums, and classical recordings. So I mix and match the DACs and the recordings, to get the most optimum sonic performance from Brainwavz S5. When gears and recording properly match, sonic performance is nothing short of amazing. I have the tendency to use S5 more for orchestral works and binaural recordings, I like the transparency and the immersive 3D imaging properties of S5, especially when using tri-flanges and AudioQuest Dragonfly.
 
From the 3 DACs I used in this review, Dragonfly is my favorite for Brainwavz S5. Open and spacious sounding, with immersive 3D imaging. The level of 3D imaging on this setup is quite remarkable, almost unbelievable from a $99.9 IEM. From memory, this 3D imaging is pretty close to ATH-IM02.  I bought my Dragonfly 1.0c from Amazon for $99, so this is simply one of the best 3D imaging performance I could get from a $200 setup. Amazing!
 
 

 
With the DAPs, I found Fiio X3 and iBasso DX90 have good synergy with Brainwavz S5. I vote for Fiio X3 + Brainwavz S5 (using the Tri-flanges) to be one of the best $300 portable setup, especially for those looking for natural, lively, clear and transparent sound signature.
 
 

 
 
 
Eartips
 
 

From my experience and observation, eartips play a great role in IEM sound quality. It is absolutely necessary to find the right eartips that sound best and give maximum comfort. Brainwavz S5 has 4.5 mm nozzle neck diameter. Quite a standard size for generic eartips replacement.
Understand that tri-flanges tip is quite big and long, and might not fit everyone ear canal, so impressions with other eartips are also important. Comparisons below is using the tri-flanges as the reference.
 
 
Tri-flanges
Ultimate best sound quality for Brainwavz S5. It brings S5 sound quality above Fostex TE-05 and TDK IE800. Detail and clarity exceed ATH-IM50 and ATH-IM70. S5 sound quality leaps up with the tri-flanges, as compared to other eartips in the package.
 
 

 
Bi-flanges
Tonality not so much different than tri-flanges, but the upper treble extension and low bass extension are not as extended as the tri-flanges. Overall tonality is less airy and imaging is less spacious, a bit congested as compared to the tri-flanges. The bi-flanges also slightly more prone to sibilance
 
 

 
Mono-flange grey
Like the bi-flanges, the stock grey eartips also have less lower bass and upper treble extension, less airy, and less spacious, lacking of depth. Not only that, the level of detail and clarity also reduce, especially midrange detail, and even more prone to sibilance than the bi-flanges. Bi-flanges is slightly better than the grey eartips.
 
 

 
Mono-flange black
IMHO the black tips sounds worse than the rest. Tonality is less natural, midrange a bit veiled, and then suddenly the treble peaks that makes the black tips the most sibilant eartips.
 
 

 
Comply T-400
Foam tips usually have good properties to manage sibilance. But with S5, T-400 has higher level of sibilance than the tri-flanges, about the same level as the grey tips. Also lacking of spaciousness and depth. Bass level is the lowest on T-400. I still prefer the grey tips as compared to the T-400.
 
 

 
 
Comparisons
 
 

 
For this comparison, I used AudioQuest Dragonfly DAC v1.0c. Low output impedance headphone output from the Dragonfly is required especially for UE TF10. TF10 hates high output impedance output, it makes TF10 sounds muddy and lacking in clarity.
 
Ultimate Ears TripleFi 10 (stock eartips)
S5 sound rather V shape when compared to UE TF10. UE TF 10 has better and fuller midrange body. As expected, TF10 vocal sounds fuller and slightly warmer. Although less full bodied, I don't consider S5 midrange as recessed. S5 mids still sounds natural, but on the leaner side of natural. S5 with the tri-flanges has airier presentation than TF10, which is slightly better for classical orchestra.
TF10 has more and punchier mid-bass, but not too much different. While low bass extension is about the same, slightly better on S5. As mentioned before, for bass, TF10 emphasizes more on mid-bass, S5 more on bass to low bass area.
Clarity, about the same for S5 with tri-flanges. When using the grey tips, TF10 has better clarity.
Treble level and quality is about the same level. Slightly better and more transparent treble on S5, when using tri-flanges eartips.
Overall sound quality of the S5 with tri-flanges eartips is not far behind TF10. Only different character, mainly on the level of midrange. But S5 sound performance decreases with different eartips. 
Personal preference: I like both equally.
 
Fostex TE-05 (stock eartips)
TE-05 has smoother midrange, but that's about it. Everything else S5 sounds better to my ears. Bass is much better on S5, more powerful with better texture & dynamic. Midrange is smoother and slightly fuller on TE-05, while S5 has clearer and more transparent mids. S5 with tri-flanges has better treble clarity and upper treble extension, sounds more open and transparent. TE-05 treble is slightly softer, less bright. TE-05 has poor noise isolation, S5 noise isolation is much better. But what S5 excels most comparing to TE-05 is the dynamic. I hear much better dynamic on S5, much wider range of dynamic from soft to louder part of the recording. Overall, music sounds more realistic on S5. I guess I haven't found the right eartips for TE-05. TE-05 does benefit from S5 tri-flanges eartips, improve isolation and dynamic, but the tonality not so good with the tri-flanges, too much mids. At least with its standard stock eartips, TE-05 doesn't sound better than S5.
Personal preference: Brainwavz S5.
 
Audio Technica ATH-IM70 (stock eartips)
IM70 has bigger bass (not much), thicker mids, and softer treble, less clarity. S5 sounds clearer and more transparent, better upper treble extension. In this comparison, I think S5 sounds closer to natural sound. S5 also sounds more spacious than IM70. Between the 2, my general sonic preferences is actually closer to the S5 sonic character, more spacious, open and transparent sound. But depending on the recordings. Those looking for warm and intimate sounding vocal would probably prefer the IM70. Both are really good in their own way.
Personal preference: I like both equally, for different type of recordings.
 
TDK IE800 (RHA eartips, larger bore to improve clarity)
S5 sounds more open, spacious, and transparent than TDK IE800. Switching from IE800 to S5, the S5 sounds rather bright. The other way around, once I get used to S5, switching to IE800 I feel IE800 is lacking in clarity and transparency. In fact they just have different level of treble, around 4 dB difference around 7 kHz onward. IE800 overall sounds smoother, more refined, with fuller midrange. S5 sounds clearer, more transparent, more spacious sounding, and a bit more lively. S5 has better bass than IE800, better level, better low bass extension, and better dynamic. S5 also sounds more lively with better dynamic, while IE800 sounds a bit compressed in comparison. IE800 requires much higher voltage to drive it, and S5 is easier to drive. This is important for smartphone that has low voltage swing. For me, I tend to like the S5 lively, open and transparent sounds better. But that's just my personal preference since I listen a lot to classical. For some 'rather bright' recordings, IE800 might be a better choice.
Personal preference: Brainwavz S5.
 
 
 
Pros:
Very nice blend of balanced tonality, transparency, detail, and dynamic.
No Driver Flex.
Various eartips included for flexible sound tuning and maximum comfort.
 
Cons:
Requires the tri-flanges eartips to sound best, which might not suit smaller ear canals.
Left and Right marking is too small and not clear. No left dot / dimple to identify the left driver in dimly lit environment.
The rounded back housing shape makes it a bit difficult to push the IEM into the ear canal while pulling ear's pinna with one hand.
 
 

 
 
Suggestion for improvement:
Bass punch and tightness.
Slightly warmer mids would be nice.
To achieve the sound quality as when using the tri-flanges eartips, with the regular mono-flange eartips.
To include more sizes of the tri-flanges eartips.
Round shape cable seems more user friendly for over the ear wearing style.
Clearer Left and Right marking, and to include Left dot / dimple for easy identification in dimly lit environment.
Flat back housing (like Brainwavz S1) for easier insertion to the ear canal.
 
 
 
I'm glad I found another reference IEM at this price level.  This IEM is definitely a keeper for me, and I will use it as one of my reference IEM for my future reviews.
Congrats to Brainwavz!
 
 
 
Features: 
 
    All metal housing in a over the ear design. 
    Flat cable for less tangle. 
    Comply foam tips included. 
 
Specifications: 
 
    Transducers/Drivers: 10mm 
    Rated Impedance: 16ohms 
    Sensitivity: 110dB at 1mW 
    Frequency range: 18Hz ~ 24KHz 
    Maximum input power:  40mW 
    Cable length: 1.3m, Y cord, OFC Copper, flat cable. 
    Plug: 3.5mm gold plated, Straight. 
    24 month warranty. 
 
Included Accessories: 
 
    1 x Comply foam T-400 medium series tip 
    6 x Silicone tips 
    1 x Bi-Flage tip 
    1 x Tri-Flange tip 
    1 x 6.3mm audio adapter 
    1 x Earphone carrying case 
    1 x Instruction manual 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
Recordings mostly used in this review: