Brainwavz R3 Dual Dynamic Driver Earphones (V2)

The sound to these headphones is about what you would expect out of $100 dual driver IEMs. While they do lack a little in clarity and balance I'm sure that is something that will improve with burn in (haven't done that yet). I can see why the sound wouldn't be for everyone. They are less bass heavy and not as dark veiled as the R1's (IMO an improvement) but have a softer sound and sometimes rolled off. The dual drivers give them a very wide sound stage however (when they are being pushed by an amp). They are comparable to the similarly priced Shure SE215-K, though currently I think I'd give Shure the edge with sound. Unfortunately in this price range there are many, many competitors. Yamaha, RHA, Thinksound, Shure, etc., many of which outdo these in several ways. Also, very important to evaluate the sound quality when paired with an amp. Many other reviews have gone over the many accessories that come with these as with all Brainwavz earbuds. To cut to the chase these simply have the worst design ever.The cord and earpieces are extremely heavy. A good build quality and durable for sure but these do NOT stay in your ears. I don't mean they fall out of your ears I mean they get pulled out of your ears. The aluminum casing is large and heavy and resembles a small oxygen canister. The cord is the thickest and heaviest I've ever seen. I find it hard to believe these were tested by anyone before being released. The main fault is that the cord is designed so that when the inside of the earpiece is facing you so is the cord. When you turn the earpieces to face each other the cord wants to pull them outward, this makes no sense at all as this is how earbuds sit in your ear. The cord is so thick that it has a TON of memory (as in there are kinks and twists in the cord that are impossible to undue). It is not memory wire that goes around over your ears but just the basic cord that does. Visualize turning these inward to put them into your ears then wrapping the cord around your ear. The cord automatically when you let is go curls back to the direction that is attached to the earbuds going around the top of your ear and pulling the earbud right out. The cord is also so heavy that to put the earbuds in to begin with you have to put the end of the cord on a table or in your pocket as the weight of the cord pulling down makes it impossible to put them in at all! I own several brainwavz earbuds have have never had this issue. I tried all the earbuds that came with this and it even managed to pull the comply foam tips out of my ears! I have also never had this issue with any other earbud that I own (I own over 100).Just to be clear the only way I was able to test the sound quality was sitting down holding these in my ears for about 2 songs and then I couldn't take anymore.This design is garbage and I can't recommend. I am going to email MP4NATION to hopefully find out this design is being changed.

Is it possible that in all these courtesy reviews no one has mentioned the commute factor? I can't possibly see myself going about the workday with these in. The R3's cable is heavy, constantly dislodging itself from around the back of my ears where I wanted to wear it to reduce microphonics. I mean, worn straight-down the cable noise is only a little more pronounced -- and not only that, it's very frequent in both cases since the thing is both long and heavy and swings and bangs against your body as you walk. Unbelievable. The there's the volume factor: I had to substantially increase the volume to match the volume carried by my old Brainwavz M3s. This means less battery life, yet this is supposed to be the next big thing in earphones. Then there happens to be the fact that the armature irritated one of my quite-normal ears a bit after a half-hour. And that I couldn't "feel" a good seal w/ one ear no matter how much I manipulated the fit of the large silicone tips, which after all work perfectly well with the M3s. An eerie look rounds off the experience, and I just don't get it: if I wanted to listen to great sound for a limited time with some discomfort, I'd just sit in my easy chair with my Audio-Technica M50s. If I want to take it on the road, though (or say, turn my head), I want some comfort and less fuss. The R3, regrettably, doesn't do it for me. The sound? On very little burn-in, hard to tell, except that the balance seems pretty well on its way after a day. But I can't afford something that gives such a mixed blessing. And how about a snap-purse pouch instead of something you need both hands to open and close on the run?

I first tried these headphones when they were being made with the memory wire around the ear buds. Everyone had their opinions about the stiff moldable cable and I was not the biggest fan. I was recently provided with a sample of the newer version of the R3's without the memory wire by the manufacturer and asked to try them out. For me, this made all the difference in being able to get a seal and just the overall comfort. Having listened to them today for about 5 hours I feel that I can now give a more detailed review about the sound quality.The first thing I noticed about the sound was that it had a unique quality which I would describe as big open soundstage. After listening to different genres I felt that I could hear subtle parts of the music that I haven't heard before with other headphones. I also would say that the sound is more comparable to a full sized over the ear headphone than an earbud. The overall sound was very balanced which I found to be a plus. If you are someone who likes ear thumping bass I would suggest trying a more bass heavy headphone.The cable is nice and thick and I don't feel like I will have to worry about any cable issues in the future. The 3.5mm plug is at a 45 degree angle which I have found to be useful when using my iPhone as my music source. My phone is in a big bulky case and the angle allows the headphones to have a thick cord without interfering with my ability to plug the headphones in through the case.The R3's come with a lot of different ear tips to try. I found that a combination of using a Large and medium size for my right and left ear worked for me. My ear canals are not the same size and appreciated being able to to try many combinations out to find the best fit.Overall I am so far very happy with the sound and the new and in my opinion improved cable. As NYC resident I will be using them on the subway and update the review with my opinion on their sound isolation.

U need big earcanals for these earphones beware!!!.Soundwise they are everybit the cost.I have huge IEM collection from senn cx series to rha t20 and BA as well

Its been months since I purchased this. I don't want to write huge reviews.If you are looking for earphones in this price range and with flat response, this is simply the best.

Bought these after deliberating for really, really long on audiophile and review websites. At the end of the day, the biggest problem for me was comfort. The sound was OK - slightly sunken mids, decent soundstage, treble not as bright or clear as I would have liked and bass fairly neutral (bass-heads will find this completely lacking).Ergonomics: They are bloody chunky and look quite ridiculous. I could never get them to sit comfortably and if I managed to at first - after an hour my ears would hurt just from where the tanks were resting against my cartilage. None of the silicone or rubber tips worked for me but the Comply tips (which are great) made them slightly more bearable. I found that the position in which they sounded best was uncomfortable and adjusting them changed the quality of the sound for the worse. I tried everything, honest, but had to return them after 4 weeks. I have pretty normal shaped ears and bear in mind this is a regular complaint.Having said that - they look like they're built to survive a warzone so I'm sure they are durable. I wouldn't manage jogging in them though because they're a bit too heavy.Sound: Decent sound. Warm side of neutral. A bit too much of a roll off on the treble so not as bright as I like. Mids were slightly withdrawn but decent. Bass was neutral and did not feel like it had much reach to the lowest frequencies.Verdict: Sorry, I had to return these and am ordering a pair of HiFiMAN RE-400 and risk the poorer build quality in favour of sound and comfort.

There are a lot of good reviews here but I thought the sound was quite poor. The fit wasn't great in my ear and I noticed a bit of a spike in the high and low mids compared to my MDR 7506s. This might be due to the two drivers not being balanced together perfectly, but while the bass was quite clear the mids were far from flat. The cable is coated in rubber which I hated, it catches against clothing often and sticks to itself, as well as twisting in strange ways. The rubber also doesn't seem to protect the lead much as my pair didn't even make it three months before there was a break in the wire. I did wear them at work where they got more than their fair share of wear and tear, so maybe I was unlucky, but I was so disappointed by the tone that I didn't bother fixing them.Quirky concept not well executed, far too expensive for the sound they deliver

I like this earphones overall.Pros: Good quality, strong wiring, smooth sound, nice case. Mids and highs are clear and detailed, stage is not very wide.Cons: Keep in mind that metal is cold, I have to heat with my hands or breathe before inserting into ear. Wondering it may be a problem at winter. Basses are weak on my taste.