Sometime back I had reviewed a entry level IEM called Beta Brainwavz Pro from Mp4 nation's in-house brand Brainwavz.Recently MP4 came up with a new mid-segment IEM called the Brainwavz M2 .Unlike the Betas the M2 are targeted more towards the mid-segment buyers ,with a price tag of ~69$. I was fortunate enough to get a chance to review the M2s before the launch and I was really surprised with the sound these IEMs could produce out of the box without much burn-in.
I received only the OEM packaging therefore I won't be able to post snaps of the the retail box and complete accessories .Ive got limited accessories which consist of a small hard case similar to the Sound Magic along with 3 silicon tips and a pair of foam tips.
The retail packaging will consists of added accessories which are as follows :
> 3 pairs of different size silicon tips
> 3 pairs of different size foam tips
> pair of ear gliders for over the ear usage
> Round hardcase
> Extra Mofi soft case to carry player + IEMs
(option to chose your own size as well -(L / XL /3XL)
The IEMs are built of complete metal housing (no plastic used).A portion of the housing has a very thin rubberized coating in black.The overallbuild of the IEMs is lot more sturdier than their Brainwavz Pro as well as other IEMs in their segment.The design is a generic IEM design.Can be worn over the ear as well as straight down.I prefer wearing it over the ear for a better fit especially while traveling.
The cable is fairly thicker than most cables and also has a braided sort of effect which I can't really explain by words but you can check it out in the snaps below . The cable feels a bit stiff but is really strong.Infact I feel it's the best cable Ive seen in a 50-60$ IEM. It does have a memory effect and the cable will retain its shape no matter what .eg : The cable remains curled up / rounded for sometime after removing it from the round hard case.
The most important part , Sound
I had been told that the M2s don't really need a long burn-in and it turned out to be true. Out of the box these earphones produce a very pleasing sound .
The bass is heavy but in a good way .Bass quantity is greater than PL-50s ,RE-0,RE-1 or infact almost every other IEM Ive tried till date. It doesn't totally classify as a bassheads bass because it's not completely boomy or muddy all the time. It has a decent texture and adds a nice feel to the bass,in short with quantity there's quality as well.Though to be frank during heavy passages it does get boomy and out of control at times. There's slight lack of authority in the bass but to expect a very accurate, textured bass from these would be totally unfair.Its the 200$ RE-252 which get's near to perfect bass not a 50-60$ IEM.
Overall the Bass on the M2s are the best you can get for the money and one of the reasons to recommend a M2 to someone.
I had been told that the M2s don't really need a long burn-in and it turned out to be true. Out of the box these earphones produce a very pleasing sound .
The bass is heavy but in a good way .Bass quantity is greater than PL-50s ,RE-0,RE-1 or infact almost every other IEM Ive tried till date. It doesn't totally classify as a bassheads bass because it's not completely boomy or muddy all the time. It has a decent texture and adds a nice feel to the bass,in short with quantity there's quality as well.Though to be frank during heavy passages it does get boomy and out of control at times. There's slight lack of authority in the bass but to expect a very accurate, textured bass from these would be totally unfair.Its the 200$ RE-252 which get's near to perfect bass not a 50-60$ IEM.
Overall the Bass on the M2s are the best you can get for the money and one of the reasons to recommend a M2 to someone.
The
midrange compliments the bass pretty well .Good detailing , upfront and well spaced instruments .It isn't smooth like the midrange in PL-50 but slightly more forward.
The
soundstage is one segment where the M2s could've improved upon .Not that its bad but not the best either.It's got good depth but isn't as wide as that on the Head-Direct RE-1 or PL-50s. The soundstage is as good as my RE-0 though so I shouldn't really be complaining.Fairly wide and deep
Treble does get slightly overshadowed by the beautiful bass and mid range but the M2s don't sound recessed or treble lacking .Not too sibilant and not too laidback as well. While the Bass and midrange is more upfront , the treble is placed around the bass and midrange. It actually makes the overall sound signature lot more fun and musical instead of analytical or neutral. Overall a smooth moderately detailed treble. In comparison , not as good as the RE-0 which have the most detailed and clear treble but the treble on M2s is very well comparable to that of PL-50 by SoundMagic.Maybe slightly better (will have to do a A/B comparison for that )
Overall with the M2 you get an IEM with amazing but slightly heavy bass , good midrange and decent soundstage & treble extension .Needless to say the magic lies in the lower band of frequencies.
So do I recommend it ?
hmmm ..For the retail price of 460 , I would definitely recommend but at the same time also advice on spending more (if you can) 15-20$ and get something from an upper tier. If you are one of those who've been waiting to get rid of your PL-30s, EP-630s etc and upgrade to a mid segment IEMs or incase you've always felt that the PL-30s lacked bass go ahead and buy the M2s.
Click here for the entire photo set of the Brainwavez M2
Reviewed by : Faheem Maldar
