Brainwavz Delta Review – Seriously Timeless!
Pros – Homogenous image; outstanding timbre; good build; generous accessories including a high-quality carrying case; good value.
Cons – Bass too punchy for some audiophiles; lower treble spike too much for sensitive ears.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Brainwavz Delta is a well-built, good sounding earphone that thrives on the harmony of its average properties and its outstanding timbre. And it constitutes very good value.
INTRODUCTION
The single dynamic driver (DD) is a dying breed in the new age of balanced-armature (BA) driver earphones. Once expensive, manufacturers now stuff new generations of cheaply produced BAs into large, flashy shells and compete on the number of drivers as their marketing gimmick and price reference. These large shells leave enough space for detachable cables which created an additional market for accessories and therefore even more revenue.
Many manufacturers discontinued their sidelined single DDs similar to record companies getting rid of vinyl in the late 1980s in favour of digital technology. What has not been considered by consumers and manufacturers alike is that single DDs have one huge advantage over the BAs: they sound more organic and natural. As somebody once wrote: when comparing iems with images, BAs are like overpixelated photos and DDs look like analog prints.
The Brainwavz Deltas are dinosaurs on the market having survived since 2013, I could only think of some Sennheiser and Etymotic models having been offered for longer.
SPECIFICATIONS
Drivers: Dynamic, 8 mm
Rated Impedance: 16Ω
Frequency Range: 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
Sensitivity: 100 dB at 1 mW
Rated Input Power: 20 mW
Cable: 1.3 m Y-Cord, Copper
Plug: 3.5 mm, Gold plated
Price: $27.50 (list)…I saw them for $20 CAD
IN THE BOX…
…are the earphones, three pairs of wide-bore silicone tips, one pair of Comply foam tips, cable tie, shirt clip, user guide, and the classic sturdy hard case (the same that comes with the Koel, B200, and B400). Very generous!
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, HAPTIC, AND BUILD QUALITY
The earpieces are well-made of light metal, they feel and appear sturdy and look somewhat non-descript (don’t judge the book by its cover). The cable is reminiscent of thin speaker cable, it is robust and worked for me. And it is red, which sets the Deltas apart from their competition…looks distinct and good. Strains reliefs are fine, and the jack is the classic Brainwavz 45 degree angled designed found on the company’s other cables. The chin slider comes in very handy. In summary, everything is of good quality, nothing to complain about.
ERGONOMICS, COMFORT, ISOLATION, AND FIT
As with most of barrel-shaped dynamic in-ears, the Deltas fit very well. Isolation is good, especially when combined with the deep-bass punch (see below). I barely heard street noise and recommend these for the daily commute.
SOURCE AND EARTIPS
The largest included wide-bore eartips worked well for me, but I wished Brainwavz had included narrow bores, too (which tame down treble and move the treble peaks to slightly lower frequencies, as depicted HERE). The Deltas were easily driven by my iPhone SE.
TONALITY
JK’s tonal preference and testing practice
The big picture: The Brainwavz Delta is a warm, smooth sounding earphone with a natural timbre and good resolution.
The details: The Brainwavz Delta has a linear frequency response that is forward inclined between 50 Hz and 1.5 kHz, that is the output decreases at an approximately uniform rate with increasing frequency. The bass is well-extended and only starts rolling off slightly at 50 Hz while not getting fuzzy downwards. Bass is not as fast as of a single BA, but is ok. The low end is punchy and the main impact comes from deep down at the transition to the sub-bass. The bass peak is broad and extends upwards into the mid-bass, which can become boomy at times. Yes the bass slam is still far enough away from the lower midrange not to smudge substantially into male vocals of the lower midrange, which maximizes clarity in this segment and minimizes the perception of the slight recession. There is no punch at 200 Hz (so typical for budget DDs) that excavates my eardrums…very pleasant.
The lower (250 to 500 Hz) and upper midrange (2 to 4 kHz, the most sensitive frequency range for the human ear) are slighty recessed and truly linear with no shouty peaks and no harshness or hardness (in contrast to many KZ earphones such as the ZSN or AS10). This is a real strength of the Deltas and the basis of their pleasant sound. The lower midrange is warm, darkish, natural, and smooth. In the upper midrange, high female vocals stay slightly behind and deserve a bit more sheen.
The treble is well extended. A narrow peak at 6.5 kHz adds brightness to the image. I taped the nozzles off with micropore tape to remove this peak temporarily [instructions], and this not only darkened the image but also removed much of its life, as depicted HERE. This peak adds the icing to cymbals and high piano notes, but it also introduces the occasional borderline sibilance and may be too sharp for sensitive ears. The treble starts rolling off at 6.5 kHz, which means it is well extended, and a secondary peak at 14 kHz adds the perception of added resolution, clarity, sparkle and airiness.
Clarity and detail resolution are generally good and so are instrument separation and layering. The timbre is natural and beats many much higher priced hybrid iems (which resolve better and have a deeper and taller soundstage).
The soundstage is wider than deep and not very tall, typical for a budget single-DD earphone, which is just fine.
In summary, the Deltas’ sound is different from so many other single DDs in its class by having the bass attack deep and no annoying upper midrange peak (“not the classic V-shape”). The price to pay for the latter is an added lower treble peak that area (reportedly) strident to some ears. Overall, the Deltas sound enjoyable to me and I could not find any noteworthy weakness.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
The Brainwavz Delta is the classic, simple, rugged, well-built budget DD earphone that holds its marketplace whereas many of its competitors have been sacrificed for flashier BA or hybrid models. Kudos to Brainwavz for that — as the Deltas are well worth it. And while they don’t break any world record, they sound good, have not a single flaw, come with a great case, and are shipped fast. The Deltas are yet another example that a good sound does not have to be expensive. I enjoyed testing them.
MY VERDICT
DISCLAIMER
The Deltas were selected and provided by Brainwavz upon my request for reviewing an interesting single dynamic-driver earphone and I thank them for that. The fast communication with Brainwavz is once again appreciated. The sole purpose of this review was to independently test the Deltas’ technical and practical capabilities.
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