Reviews

Brainwavz Beta Earphones Review

 

Brainwavz is a Hong Kong-based company that specializes in the production of earphones. The company prides in making high-end earphones specifically designed for high-quality sound that cater to a wide range of audio genres and styles. There are so many audio brands that deliver high-quality sound but Brainwavz sets itself apart from these brands by offering its earphones at very affordable prices.

I had the chance to use two earphones from Brainwavz, the Beta and Alpha, both in-ear monitors. Read on to find out if the claims of Brainwavz are justified.

Brainwavz Beta Earphones Specifications

  • Driver Dynamic, 13.5mm, CCAW Drive units
  • Frequency Range 20 ~ 9000Hz
  • Sensitivity 110dB
  • Impedance 16 Ohm
  • Max Power Input 40 mW
  • Rated input power 10 mW
  • Dimensions (Pack) 101 x 72 x 36mm
  • Cable / Plug 1.2 m `Y` Cable 3.5mm, 45 degree, gold-plated
  • Net / Gross Weight 13g / 35g

 

Design and Packaging

The packaging of Brainwavz Beta is unassuming. The earphones are packed inside a small black carton box and the wires tucked inside a green colored contrapment. What you get from the package are the Beta earphones, three sets of silicone eartips of different sizes one set of Comply foam tips and of course the instruction manual and warranty card.

The earphones are uniquely designed and doesn’t look like your usual in-ear buds that protrudes in one direction. The Brainwavz Beta’s buds protrude sidewards and at first glance they look like they will have a hard time fitting comfortably in your ears. At the top of the cones are short cylinders where the silver Brainwavz logo can be seen. The cylinders are then held by stems that protect the wire. The Brainwavz Beta is all black, using a combination of matte and glossy materials.

The three silicone tips are semi-transparent, each one of a different size. The Comply foam tips are surprisingly soft and attaching it to the earbuds give you the impression that it deflates easily in size but it comes back to its original size after a while.

If I may say my opinion on the design of the Brainwavz Beta, I’d say I generally like it. I like the matte and glossy finish and the fact that the in-ear tips protrude sideways. It not only adds to the appeal of the Beta’s design but it also contributes to the ergonomics of the earphones. What I don’t like, however, are the protruding short cylinders on the base of the earbuds that are quite visible when the earphones are already on the ears. I always like that part curved like in Sony’s old earphones or the earphones of the iPod or the iPhone. Another thing I don’t like is how the wire at the plug’s end is flimsily held by serrated rubber that inspires little confidence. I have the impression that this could be a problem after long use as that part of the wire is always pressed to something or otherwise pulled.

As to quality of materials, the Branwavz Beta is made of nice materials and has the appearance of being premium yet sturdy.

 

Sound Performance

Now this is where I almost have nothing negative to say about the Brainwavz Beta. Almost.

In-ear earphones are meant for sound isolation and the Brainwavz Beta does not disappoint. Choose the right tips from the three sets provided and expect to drown out all external sound. But my favorite tips has to be the supplied Comply foams. They fit perfectly as they easily follow the contours of your ear holes. And in from my observation, the Comply foams help in filtering the sound. The side-protruding in-ear tips are also quite welcome as they help in getting the perfect fit and position of the earphones. The surface of the earbuds otherwise covered in regularly designed in-ear earphones adds more traction on the earlobes.

I had no real expectations from this earphones in terms of audio quality as I have never heard of Brainwavz prior to this review. When I opened the packaging I know I liked what I saw but I didn’t expect the Brainwavz Beta to sound this good. At least not from a pair of earphones that’s aggressively priced. The Brainwavz Beta delivers outstanding audio quality overall you’d have to nitpick to be able to find a fault.

The best qualities of the Brainwavz Beta are the bass and the high frequencies. The bass quality of this earphones is just superb. Play bass-heavy tracks on the Beta and you’ll surely appreciate how it handles low frequencies well. On the track On to the Next One by Jay-Z for instance, I was so satisfied how this earphones rendered bass, getting too soft when needed and too hard and thumping when the song requires it. The bass details are clearly there and you’ll appreciate it especially if you’re into R&B or rap music.

The high frequencies are also nicely rendered on the Brainwavz Beta. The details are crisp and very clearly delivered. It is therefore good to listen to rock and alternative tracks on these earphones. Guitar riffs are very clear and searing vocals get good treatment.

Soundstage is not perfect but it’s not bad either. For an in-ear monitor, I can certainly appreciate how Brainwavz tried to make soundstage as perfect as possible. In fact when using this earphones, you sometimes get the feeling that you are on a big headphone.

Now I earlier said I almost have nothing negative to say about the Brainwavz Beta. What kept me from giving these earphones a perfect rating in sound performance is the way it renders mid frequencies. The Beta highlight bass and highs and tends to drown out mids. What therefore happens in certain tracks is you clearly hear bass and high frequency details but the mids do not get the same treatment. But I should say that this happens rarely and usually only in bass-heavy tracks. And certainly, this does not diminish the overall value of the Brainwavz Beta. For the price of P1,350, this earphones offer unbelievable bang-for-buck. The sound quality delivered by Brainwavz Beta is normally heard only on in-ear earphones in the range of P5,000 to P7,000.

 

Brainwavz Alpha

Just for purposes of comparison, I will discuss here the Brainwavz Alpha, another bang-for-buck earphones from Brainwavz.  The Alpha is cheaper than the Beta at only P950.  For this super low price, the Alpha is quite a performer.  Its best feature is the deep, rich, powerful bass it delivers.  The Beta is better overall but the Alpha is also unbelievably good for the price.  Sound isolation is also good on the Alpha, but not as good as the Beta’s, only because the latter has the Comply foam that improves isolation.   In terms of design, the Alpha is also nice looking but it’s not as aggressively styled as the Beta.  It’s still a looker though but compared to the Beta, the Alpha’s design is pretty straight forward.

Verdict

Brainwavz claims that its thrust is to deliver high-quality earphones at very affordable prices. With the Beta, I can attest Brainwavz delivered on what was promised. The Brainwaz Beta is simply a high-quality earphones disguised as a low cost product. Would I recommend this earphones? Definitely.

The Brainwavz Beta and Alpha are available at these stores:

  • Beyond The Box
  • Digital Hub
  • Digital Walker

Rating: 9.5/10

 

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6 Comments

  1. I’ve tried this when the distributor tested its sale at half the price in one of the forums. It sure is bang for the buck

  2. Are there stores I can go to test these babies out? I’m liking what you say about comfort and noise isolation but I don’t particularly like bass-y tunes.

    • They’re available at the stores mentioned in the post.  I don’t know though if they have test units.

      • Hi! I’ve been wanting to test and almost bought all in-ear earphones that I saw in malls. It’s because my jvc blue in-ear (with foam tips) is already damaged. Its sound is great and I’ve been searching and wanting to replace it with great one also. I’ve tried Audio Technica, which is great also, except its bass. Philips. Koss. Ultimate Ears (UE). Sony. Skull Candy. See, almost all. My latest is the UE. Average in sound quality though. Now, you’ve mentioned three stores but I don’t really know their locations. I wanna try Brainwavz Beta. Help me with its location so I can buy one. Thanks a lot. And nice review. Thumbs up!

        • Thanks. Beyond the Box is in Resorts World near NAIA 3. digital walker has branches in Eastwood Mall and Greenhills. I know they have other branches.  

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