DUNU Hephaes (DN-16) Quick Review

DUNU Hephaes (DN-16) Quick Review

Thanks to Frogbeats for the sample

Brief: Bling Bling!! Bass Bass!!

Price: £57

Specification: Model No. Hephaes (DN-16), Type HQ (9mm), Sound pressure level 105+-2dB, Impedance 16 ohms, F. Response 1OHz~20KHz, Noise Attenuation 26dB, Weight 22g, Plug Size 3.5mm Gold-plated, Cord Length 1.2 m

Accessories: Two cases, 4 pairs of tips and some ear loops.

Build Quality: Excellent, probably one of the best I’ve seen. Everything feels well thought out and very sturdy.

Isolation: It’s pretty reasonable and about what you’d expect for a dynamic. Enough to get run over if you’re not used to IEM’s but nothing you’re really buy for flying. Well I wouldn’t anyway.

Comfort/Fit: Actually better than I thought they might be given their weighty metallic nature and their sculpted metal flames. That was dependant of them sitting reasonably shallow in my ear and using a bigger tip than I usually would but it worked just fine.

Aesthetics: You will either really like it or not. These are not subtle. Still you will have worked that out I’m sure from their picture. I’m not sure I like the flame effect; I’d rather they were just red but that’s just me.

Sound: Big, thick, heavy and bassy. No two ways about it these are pretty much bass monsters and if that’s what you’re looking for then great. No really I mean that, they are as bass monsters go pretty great elsewhere but still they ARE bass monsters. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to live with them every day but that was all that I really didn’t like. They handled themselves well given that quantity and still let everything else come through clearly. Mids and highs were both pretty clean and clear and possessed much more air and transparency than I would have expected given the heaviness of the low end. I’m sure if I were EQ the hell out of them I’d have got on much better with them but then that’s not what these are aiming for. They are big, thick bass monsters and they are aiming at the mainstream “youth” demographic. I could really see a lot of people really, really liking these and finding them a hell of a lot of fun.

Value: £57 is for where these are aimed is probably considered to be a lot for ear phones. To me it’s not really. I’m used to seeing stuff that costs way more and comes with a much more genteel and refined sound. These have none of that, it’s all thick bassy fun.

Pro’s: Tons of bass, blingy and well built.

Con’s: It’s a big old bass monster, pure and simple.

DUNU Hephaes (DN-16) Review

DUNU Hephaes (DN-16) Review

Thanks to Frogbeats for the sample

First Impressions: Physically they really look like the Radiopaq Jazz’s but with some colour. Pulling them out of the box I must say I’m impressed with the cable. It feels super nice and it comes with a rubber cable tie built in. That’s something I’ve never seen before so kudos to DUNU for it. I’m not sure I’m loving the actual buds though, I know don’t really mind how things look but the bright metallic red is a little much for me. I’m also really not sure about the hard case they come with. Now I do rather like they have two cases, a hard and a soft baggie but the hard one is, erm, shall we say masculinity challenging? Could we have a matte version please.

First listen and they sound very much on the warm heavy side of things. Not sure I’m going to love this, still they need some burn in time.

Source 1G iPod Shuffle with and without a 75 ohm adapter added and a FiiO E7 and E9 combo.

Lows: Abundant, thick, heavy and for me much too much. Now I’ll be the first to admit to being somewhat of an old fart and no fan of great big bass. Great big, air shifting bass. A quick toot of Melanie C’s I Turn To You (Hex Hector Radio Mix) which is bass heavy anyway but pretty quick punchy bass. For something so big in the bass it does really well in not flabbinng all over the place, but god that’s a lot of bass. It really isn’t as hard or punch as it ought to be but that’s probably a good thing given the quantity. If it were it would be punching holes in ear drums. I am a little surprised at how well it keeps things together though, given its big slightly soft nature it doesn’t in any way fall apart, remaining just as big and thick as it was with slower, more wallowy songs. The bass is for me too big and too thick, not that I want overly punchy hard hitting lows but the Hephaes is really going for a thick mellow sound. It reminds me a little of the Sony EX500 but a little bit softer and somewhat rather bigger. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who would love this kind of thick, heavy sound but not one of them.

Mids: For all the low end abundance these have you would expect the mid range to be thick and heavy too but its no where near what you’d expect. Vocals retain a very good level of detail and clarity. It’s still not what I would describe as a dry sound as its well over towards the smooth and liquid sound but it pretty much free of any mid/bass bleed. That’s why there aren’t the cheapest things in the world, not that they are pricey either but for their “populist” tuning they are still pretty clear. Vocals are easily discernible through that mountain of bass and I’ve got to say I rather like them. I can’t think of the last time heard so nice a midrange cut through such an amount of bass, actually I’m not sure I ever have. I really do wish however they were much more forward so balanced out the low end. The mids here while good are well behind in terms of presentation.

Highs: This is maybe the most surprising element. The high end is impressively good and detailed yet has no hard edge whatsoever. I very much like this sort of treble, one that offers detail and shimmer without that hard sparkly edge you so often find. Granted there are lots who like that and if that’s you then look elsewhere. Impressive as the highs are though they are still sitting at a quantity level that’s about the same as the mids. If you’re a treble junky then again these so are not for you as its well behind that great big bass. It’s a same as it’s really rather good. Actually, it works pretty well on really treble happy songs doing a good deal to tame over brightness.

Soundstage: These offer a large sounding scale but don’t really off the greatest in terms of separation and placement. I quite like the way it presents a sense of scale but is a little fuzzy on exactly where things are coming from. It lets the music blend well together in an integrated pleasant manner.

Comfort: I did try these at first with small tips and shoving them in quite deep and that really wasn’t working out so well for me. Once I changed to the medium tips and let them sit more shallow then they were just fine in my ears. The buds are a little weighty so I could see them being a bit annoying if you wear them down but as I don’t it never bothered me.

Fit: No problems at all, just stuck in ears and that was they.

Cable: Excellent, the cable is great as are the jack and the Y splitter. Very professional.

Build Quality: Let’s be honest, if there one thing Chinese manufacturers get bashed for (rightly or wrongly) it’s the perception of them being cheap and junky. There is no danger of that here. Everything feels very solid and well put together. The buds are metal and feel absolutely solid. The cable and such likewise feel great and the cable tie (even if I’m not sure I’d ever use it) just oozes attention to detail.

Microphonics: Well it really matters if you wear these up or down. Up none really and down you do but there is the built in chin slider. As long as you happy to use that then it pretty much solves the issue.

Isolation: I’d say about average for a dynamic. I’m sure they must be vented somewhere as it gave mo no venting issues and it’s a dynamic so the isolation is more than I’d expect. Its fine for normal use, out and about, on a bus etc etc. You know the usual, enough to get you run over if you’re not used to it but not what you want for flights to New Zealand.

Accessories: Probably one of the best in terms of quantity. That you get not one but two cases, I think is a first for me. The soft one while it looks great is nothing more than a baggie and the hard one as I mentioned earlier is more than a touch girlie. Could we perhaps get the hard one made from the same material as the soft one please? You also got the usual handful of tips and a pair of ear loops.

Amped/Unamped: Honestly these if anything were better when being driven by the little shuffle and the 75 ohm adapter than they were by the E9. However that’s down to the shuffle being a more compatible sound signature than anything else. The little shuffle is dryer and more crispy up top so they sounded overall a little more balanced so the bass didn’t so vastly dominate. All other aspects were largely unchanged, sure the treble was more refined on the amp but I’m not convinced that was down to them being better driven. The shuffle has always been a bit gritty up top so being grittier when using it is hardly what I’d call a shocker.

Value: I’ve been informed these will retail for £57 and that seems a pretty good price to me. You get a pretty good overall bundle that sounds good (assuming you really want a lot of bass) and they both look and feel top quality. Granted I’m not sure I’m totally sold on the bright red flame effect but if you’re looking for a little blingy then they do fit the bill well.

Conclusion: Okay I’ve got to say right off the bat in case you hadn’t picked it up but I didn’t love these. Much too much bass for my delicate little ears and the bass just dominated. In terms of quantity they reminded me a lot of the R1 but at a greatly higher quality level. The bass was actually really of an impressive quality given its vastness and surprisingly it remained constant. When things got a little bit loud and fast the bass didn’t get all soft and bloom like a weed in summer. It stayed its same old thick, heavy abundant self. I really would have expected it to creep up and suffocate the mid range but it didn’t. Speaking of mids they and the highs were both really quite nice and clear given how over shadowed they were by the lows. The highs in particular I thought were very good but so far behind that big low end it rarely got a chance to shine.

I’m sure out there are a bunch of bassheads that would really enjoy a listen to the Hephaes particularly if they are used to low quality bass cannons that seem to dominate the mainstream. These are good but they retain that huge bass quantity that many seem to want. They are a good quality, good value, bass cannon.

Brainwavz Beta v2 Quick Review

Brainwavz Beta v2 Quick Review

Thanks to mp4nation for the review sample

Brief: Brainwavz is kicking ass once again.

Price: US$28.50 or £18.45

Specification: Transducers/Drivers: Dynamic, 13.5mm, CCAW Drive units, Rated Impedance: 16ohms, Frequency range: 20 ~ 20KHz, Rated input power: 10mW, Maximum input power: 40mW, Plug: 3.5mm, 45 degree, gold-plated, Cable length: 1.2m, 1 year warranty, Dimensions (Packaging): 101 x 72 x 36mm, Net Weight: 13g, Gross Weight: 35g

Accessories: 3 x Pairs of ear tips (S/M/L), 1 x Pair of Comply foam tips S-series, 1 x Instruction manual and 1 year warranty card

Build Quality: Good to fair, nothing wrong with them but doesn’t feel super sturdy like the M1 does. Still is good for the price.

Isolation: Not a lot, a boon if you’re a big jogger perhaps and need to hear things , you know so you don’t get run over and such but I think its pushing the limits of what I’d feel comfortable using on a bus. Who wants to be the irritating chap blasting music out while everyone else wants to throw him under the wheels?

Comfort/Fit: I though it may cause trouble but actually they were really very comfortable. I could wear these up no problem and they weigh practically nothing. They felt safe and secure and id be totally happy wearing these all day long.

Aesthetics: Hmm, there is nothing wrong with how they look per say but I can’t say I really liked them. Brainwavz has a habit of not making the best looking stuff but honestly does it matter?

Sound: Kapow, they may not be a joy and a pleasure to look at but they certainly are to listen to. They are wonderfully balanced, and can turn their skilful hand to anything and produce a cacophony of wondrous noise. Sure they are el cheapo’s and yes they can’t beat a set of GR07’s but they have the same basic style. Do everything and do it well. For the money I cannot hope to pick fault in how they behave. They can go smooth and low, serenade with effortlessly flowing vocals and give a jolly good display in the top end too. Yeah they get a bit muddy and confused if you go loud, fast and complex but they still hold up better than they have any right to at this price. They are great for never ever being offensive or overblown anywhere or doing much of anything wrong. This is so grown up sounding and really is the little IEM that could.

Value: Fab, buy one.

Pro’s: Everything, it sounds so mature and skilful, it can do everything. Stupid cheap.

Con’s: If you need a lot of isolation this aint it, not very pretty to look at.

Brainwavz Beta v2 Review

Brainwavz Beta v2 Review

Thanks to mp4nation for the review sample

First Impressions: The box is reasonable enough but is a little creased from its round the word travels. The packaging is reasonably nice but clearly this is not what you’d call a premium product. Inside there isn’t too much but one interesting thing I see is some faux complys. Looks wise these really remind me of the Sony MDR-EX85 and the corresponding 300 million pretend ones that the Chinese OEM market produced. I’ve got to say it’s not giving me high expectations, I know the Sony ones were well loved but well, oh you know what I mean. So hesitantly I decide I’d better shove them in my ears. Not at all what I expected. Damn these are really nice, whoever it is that tweaks Brainwavs stuff for balance should get a raise. They consistently manage to nail it in such a way as to get the absolute best from their stuff. Burn in time.

Source 1G iPod Shuffle with a 75 ohm adapter added

Lows: I can see the low end being a bit controversial as such cheap stuff tends to go by the rule, the more bass the better. The Beta’s don’t do this. Now I’m not saying they can’t do a low because they can and they do with a grace and poise that would put many to shame. They can take a rich low note and happily hold it, smoothly and gently without running out of breath. They do the best they can to stay quick and nimble too for the faster stuff, so they aren’t the most agile ever what do you want for this kind of money, the moon on a stick? A whirl with Pendulum’s “Propane Nightmares” and they maybe aren’t giving the punch they should or really conveying the explosive power and magnitude of where the bass should be but I cannot fault them. They don’t go to hell and become a huge flab of bass farting all over the place. Quantity wise I can see people wanting a bit more as the bass really doesn’t stand out the way it often does on low end stuff, they aren’t what I’d call bass light though. They are what I would describe as evenly balanced, the bass is pretty much in line with the mids and maybe a touch above the highs. Still they come from a big dynamic driver so if you really want more go nuts with the EQ and it will move the air you want.

Compared to its stable mate the M1, these have a touch more bass which seems sensible since they were just a hint on the bass light, Brainwavz are really taking the middle space and dominating it.

Mids: Superb. Vocals are light and airy and have a smoothness that belies their bargain basement credentials. They are immensely pleasant to hear. I can’t deny though they do favour a slower and more liquid sounding voice as they just don’t have the clarity to really show you the detail needed for dry and airy. As I said previously I cannot fault them for this as they are so cheap and it’s not like anything at or near this price can really do that level of detail. These are not really mid centric but the mids are pretty prominent. When it comes to acoustic guitars they do slip a little. They don’t quite manage the crisp snap that they should but for the money they do so very, very well. Still I must admit the M1 does them better, it’s dryer and crisper sound gives them more of clarity. The M1 is of course 50% more expensive though.

Highs: Anyone familiar with my musings will know that this is where I tend to fault most things and the Beta’s are no different. They don’t quite get things right and let’s be honest, they don’t have anywhere near the detail to nail it either. So they don’t really try to and what’s better is they don’t dial up the treble and dial up its edginess to pretend they have more detail than they really do. The Beta’s put on a fine show and give you a great rendition of what should be there. From what I remember it’s a far gentler proposition than the old v1. Quantity wise it’s a touch behind the mids but nothing wildly so, the highs are still easily audible and clear. However they will get increasingly muddled and lost as the music gets faster and louder. After all this end a product at the bottom of the market and it cannot keep up but it does a pretty good job. If you music is all pretty slow then it does a great job, if not then you maybe want to move up to the M1 which is clearly quicker.

Soundstage: They are moderately big sounding, possibly due to their huge drivers and that they must sit pretty shallow in the ear. They do sound pretty big and have a pretty impressive level of sound separation. Again though once things start getting too fast and complex that separation does noticeably suffer. Lovely though on slower stuff.

Comfort: Well it was fine for me. The buds are pretty weirdly shaped though so it wouldn’t surprise me if it did cause issues for some. That said I don’t recall ever seeing anyone complain of issue with the shape of the Sony one. They are pretty weightless too so that helps.

Fit: I can’t say I loved their super shallow fit, I’m used to shoving things in deep and obviously the shape of these means that’s not an option. They demand to sit shallow and they are pretty weightless. I found also I could wear these up, actually I found that more comfortable than wearing down. So actually their fit was very good for me.

Cable: As I said before these aren’t a premium product and it shows a little in the cable. It is thin-ish and reasonably flimsy to the touch. Not that I think there is anything really wrong with it but it clearly pales in comparison to the great cable used on the M1.

Microphonics: This will greatly depend on if you wear these up or down, up you get none down you get plenty. It’s not terrible down but the lack of shirt clip and chin slider means there isn’t going to be much you can do to alleviate it.

Isolation: Erm well if there was one place these fall down its here, if you want a lot that is. They aren’t really all that isolating. To me that’s fine as I’d rather things lack isolation than seal a dynamic and get nothing but air pressure/venting issues. Still if you want something for the tube of long flights, this really is not it. I’m not even sure I’d be happy using these on a bus, I’d hear others and I be concerned I was being that annoying bottom hole who is blasting music out on earphone and annoying everyone else. I think they would be great for situation where you need to hear things though, if you were out jogging or something.

Amped/Unamped: Honestly these kinda did like more power as you would expect a dynamic to but these aren’t ever going to meet an amp in the wild. If they ever do (thinking FiiO E5 or 6, maybe even a 3) then it will likely be because the people who buy things at this price want them wore for their bass boosting qualities than anything else.

Value: Playing devil’s advocate, if you look at things as for only US$16 more you can get xyz then I can see pretty good reasons to step up. If you look in terms of percentages then US$16 more is a huge increase. Also a quick flick round the net and I can see the M6 for practically the same price and they are both just outstandingly good for the money. I can’t say the Beta is the better of the two, they do things differently and for me and my tastes the Beta is the better suited. Still both are just stupendous value, just amazingly good.

Conclusion: The first Beta, hand on heart, I didn’t really like. Not that it was crap or anything; it just wasn’t suited to me. It was a cheapo trying to do something really hard (Ety esq treble) and it while it really, really tried it just didn’t manage it. The new Beta is doing none of that. It’s taken the middle ground that Brainwavz seems to be dominating, going for a balance that is undramaitic and unexciting but is something that you can hear every day, day in day out and enjoy. They are nailing that balance and offer a smattering of things all around it. The M1 a touch on the bright and dry, the M2 on the thick and warm. The M3 in pretty much the middle, possibly a touch middy. The beta here sits almost bang in the middle, maybe a touch middy and tiny touch treble reduced. It makes for an immeasurably enjoyable sound that can frankly turn its hand to anything and everything. Sure it’s still dirt cheap so it can’t offer you the same level of detail and clarity the M3 can. Still it does offer a superb level of emotional expressiveness. It’s beautiful and enjoyable in a way that so few very cheap things can. As I mentioned earlier whoever it is that is tuning these things for Brainwavz deserves a raise because they are doing the most amazing job of it. Low end things are supposed to be all about the colour and flavour (often big bass or a strong V shape) and these manage to do everything with a level of poise and refinement that they shouldn’t have. Now granted if you make them work too hard, too fast and too loud, then they will get rather flustered and somewhat become a gibbering heap but who can honestly fault them for that? I’m a grumpy misery and I can’t.

I think these are just fantastic for the money. They deal with everything as best they can and never in anyway cause offense. They do everything better than they ought to for the money and sound so much more grown up than their price point implies. If you are new to the world of quality audio and taking their tentative first steps to see what out there then trust me, you really cannot go wrong with a pair of these.

Brainwavz B2 Review

Brainwavz B2 Review

Thanks to Advanced Headphones www.advancedheadphones.co.uk for the sample (AMP3’s sister site)

First impressions: I have been waiting to get to hear these things for what feels like forever. However they are now in the country and so when I got the email saying they had arrived I was rather excited. The box looks rather nice but I did notice that the tips that came on them were just normal black rubber tips, why? So the pretty red comply’s where inside I don’t see why you wouldn’t have them on to make them look prettier, or maybe we could have red rubber tips? I know it’s nothing important but it would have been a nice touch. Other than that they really are so very similar to the DBA-02.

Sticking them in my ears and my first thoughts are the taming of the hyper treble of the DBA but that they are every bit as good sans the dramatic sound signature. Even though these are BA I’ll still send them for a little burn in plus it gives a few days to do other things.

Source, normally for something of this price I’d say the HM-601 and the ipod and XM5 and I shall comment on both.

Lows: Tight but not as tight as its twins, usually i’d say this was a bad thing but the trade off has been made to lose a little tightness and exchange it for a touch of bloom and expansion. It’s a trade well worth it I think. The bass is still very tight and accurate but the other aspect of the BA precision is that they often lack expansion and fullness. The tuning here does a little to remedy that but bare in mind it’s still only a little and frankly I feel they could have afforded to take it much further. It’s still very taught and precise and it lacks a soul. I can’t say I’m surprised given its family connections that this too would be aimed squarely at the accurate, precise, hard end of the scale. Oh listen to me moaning. There isn’t anything wrong in how it performs but its bass behaviour just does nothing for me. Still it’s arguably better and more enjoyable than that of the DBA-02 which I constantly felt demanded the use of the bass boost button. This I’m far happier to live without it. Still if you’re looking for something bass heavy then this isn’t it.

Mids: Very, very accomplished on the whole but with one caveat, it’s a giant caveat too. SSSSSSSibilance. These have been tuned in such a way that has a real spike in the upper mids / lower highs and I found that my use of the ipod and XM5 (a relatively neutral and uncoloured sound) that these just constantly leapt out and stabbed we with a needle. Okay so I’m exaggerating a little but some artists were intolerable at volume with that set up. (Lilly Allen, 22) I found I very quickly moved all my listening time with these to the HM-601 and its darker, warmer sound. As a combo they went so much better together, so very very very much. A listen to the brightish shuffle and it was readily apparent they did not like each other. The sibilance is worse than on the DBA. It is the one real downer about the B2 and if I only had the ipod / XM5 set up then I’d be pretty unhappy about it. Otherwise they are really very nice, taking the pretty dry cool sound of the DBA and nudging it towards a little warmth and liquidity making it that bit more even and balanced. While this means they aren’t excelling at anything in particular they can turn their hand to pretty much anything. They do a very impressive and accomplished job of it too, mids while lacking any true beauty are pretty faultless.

Highs: Meh. They are uninspiring and unexciting. They are of course extremely good and detailed but they, in comparison to their twins, are so undramatic. They do manage to tick every box in terms of detail and information retrieval but they don’t grab you in the way the DBA does. That is probably a good thing long term and the DBA is so brittle and brutal in the high end and the B2 really does a far better job of transmitting treble detail without sanding your ears off in the process. For the money they do offer an extremely impressive level of detail and in a much more tolerable form. However I’m not sure everyone will be happy about that, the less hyper forward treble here makes for a much less dramatic first impression. I don’t doubt it makes for a better long term listening proposition but conversely it will make for a calmer reception in the Head-fi forums. There just isn’t that insane drama going on, they don’t grab you and scream in your face “LISTEN TO ME!!!!” and I for one think that’s a good thing. Still the treble they do display is very quick and snappy. It doesn’t have the extension or shimmer that I’d ideally like but BA things never really get that right. Here the decay is a touch on the quick side and is still a little bit dry and edgy and can be the tiniest bit gritty. It’s still much better than the DBA which was so brittle in the highs, this is much better. Possibly about as good as I’ve ever heard on a dual BA IEM.

Soundstage: Actually it’s pretty good, these do a fine job of scale and size. They aren’t going to blow you away and they are pretty linear in their width rather than giving the impression they surround you. Instrument separation isn’t as crisp as the DBA but is still very good.

Comfort: These are physically identical to the DBA and as such are perfectly comfortable. I had zero issue with them.

Fit: As with comfort they gave me not the slightest issue, it was a case of shove in and that was that. They do sit quite deep so be warned if you don’t like that, not that you have to shove them in deep of course.

Cable: The same black and while cable we have seen elsewhere. It was great then and it’s still pretty great. It’s very soft and flexible and feels sturdy enough. I can’t see anyone finding complaint with it.

Microphonics: None.

Amped/Unamped: Well seeing as my unamped source is the shuffle, the bright shuffle lets just not go there. However in terms of how much power they need they don’t really. They seem to work just fine with any amount of power so I don’t see it being an issue. However, if you have a bucket load of power available, in my case the FiiO E9, they love it. LOVE IT! They take all that power and level out in the highs and the low end too strengthens and feels so much more composed and confident. I know it’s not its natural partner but I’m sure other portable amps out there will be able to do much the same for it. Just maybe go for a warmish amp.

Isolation: Excellent. It may not quite be up there with Etymotic but it’s a gnats whisker away. Easily good enough for any environment be it Tube or long distance flight. Naturally my usual proviso of look where you are going with them in as you will not hear things like traffic. If you want to be road kill that’s fine but otherwise look where you are going.

Build Quality: Very good. As previously mentioned the cable is great and I can’t see any issue anywhere else. They may not scream quality and substance like something’s can they are fine for any normal use.

Accessories: You get 3 pairs of rubber tips and a pair of red comply’s a 3.5mm to .25 inch adapter and a plane adapter. There is also a little hard case. It seems a fair little bundle to me but I’d rather the rubber tips were red too.

Value: Coming in at £99 that’s a level that undercuts pretty much everything that will get you to this level of acoustic quality. Given the DBA has pretty much become unobtanium I think its reasonably safe to ignore it. The trouble then is the q-JAYS, they both do things differently and I’d probably have to give it to the B2 as its technically more proficient up top and down low but I can right now see the Q-JAYS for £81. (Okay I accept this isn’t a regular price which seems to vary from £100 to £140) So while I am very happy to say the B2 is worth every penny and more I cannot argue they are worth £20 more than the q-JAYS if you can get them at that price. There is also the last remaining Klipsch Custom 3’s out in the wild, they too are stunners but with the worst cable that I’ve ever seen. I should point out to those that aren’t aware both the q-JAYS and the KC3 started life costing vastly more, think circa £200+. In short you get an incredible level of quality for your money here.

Conclusion: The B2 is a curious little bugger. It clearly is the same hardware as the DBA-02 they look identical (colour differences) and sound very close to each other. When the DBA arrived it was heralded as the new messiah with countless chaps on Head-Fi falling over themselves to be ever more fawning over it. It was a dual armature and it was going for then unheard of prices (circa £120ish) they also had a hyper dynamic, hyper forward, hyper hyper sound to them that leads to an immensely dramatic first impression. As any salesperson will tell you the more dramatic the better as it makes for the best first impression. What others will tell you is that same dramatic colouration doesn’t lead to a good long term position and frankly just gets exhausting. That’s just what I found with the DBA, it was fun but just too much, too brittle and hyperactive particularly in the top end. This bothered me particularly so as I’m a bit treble sensitive and it was just so tiring. The B2 has taken that hardware and tuned them to be somewhat more long term liveable. It’s taken the savagery off the top off the treble and softened and filled out the low end too. These are so much more balanced and even than their siblings are. These however make for a much less dramatic impression and I can see them not being so favourably received. It doesn’t help either that while they are a little cheaper the q-JAYS are no longer sitting at £180. Actually more so than anything else the biggest problem I have is the q-Jays. They don’t do as accomplished a job in the highs and have a bit more grit than they should they manage to be so much more tuneful and soulful. Most importantly they don’t get all sibilant ear stabby like the B2 can when you pair it badly. That’s what really gets me, okay so it’s not a problem with a nice warm player (I believe the S:flo shares that sound too) but I’m not sure I’d like to imagine how these pair with a 6G ipod classic. I know they really hated the 1G shuffle.

That sibilance issue aside I did really like these. I can’t say they captured my heart but they are extremely capable and have a fantastic technical ability. They also have a fantastic balance with a low end that’s enough to deal with whatever you’d like without being too tight and too controlled like it was on the DBA. It also does a great job at giving a touch dry but mostly even mid range. Most dual BA are quite on the dry and cool side which makes for a lovely airy sound but is too dry for rich, liquid voices. The B2 has enough of a hint there to do vocals much more fluidly than the DBA can. In the highs too it offers pretty much every detail you could want while not grinding broken glass in your ear (like its twin.) The trouble is it’s not the world’s most exciting listen and just doesn’t excel at any one thing like the DBA did. It lacks that hyperactive drama which is why it’s not had the same reception and I think it would be better deserving of it. If I had to have one of the two to live with forever it would have to be the B2, easily. That’s pretty high praise, right?

The B2 when partnered well is about as good as you can get for the money and not all that far off as good as you can get, period.