Pros:
- Excellent technicalities
- Above average soundstage
- Premium set of cables and eartips
Cons:
- None
Introduction:
See Audio is a new name in the portable audio industry, although the people behind it have been in the game for quite some time now. They are from China and they have launched multiple IEMs recently including their current flagship Kaguya, Neo, Yume which is currently their most affordable one, and the Bravery which currently retails for 279 USD. The Philippine circle of reviewers received one unit of the Bravery provided by See Audio as a part of their international tour.
Specifications:
Driver units: 4 balanced armature (2 from Knowles and 2 from Sonion)
Impedance: 18 ohms
Sensitivity: 110 dB
Frequency response range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
Source:
Poco X3 paired with iBasso DC03 and Shanling UA1
Test tracks:
Africano - Earth Wind and Fire
Dark Necessities - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Gurenge - Lisa
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Monsters - All Time Low
Ours - Taylor Swift
Stay - Mayday Parade
Snuff - Slipknot
Yesterday Once More - Carpenters
So Slow - Freestyle
Aurora Sunrise - Franco
Attention - Pentatonix
Blue Bird - Ikimono-gakari
You're Still The One - Shania Twain
Anyone Who Knows What Love Is(Will Understand) - Irma Thomas
Salamin - Slapshock
AOV - Slipknot
Hey Jude - The Beatles
The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
...and a lot more.
Unboxing and Accessories:
The Bravery that we received does not come with the retail box. It only comes with the circular metal case and 3 pairs of Azla Xelastec eartips.
Build:
The shell is made of 3D printed resin that is hollow, which makes it a bit lighter compared to shells that are filled and solid inside. The shells are slightly bigger than average so there could be comfort issues here for people with small ears. The faceplates have this kind of like a swirl paint design, with the right faceplate having the See Audio logo, and an 8-point star on the left. There is a single vent near the female pins and nothing much on the rear side except for the nozzle which is made of metal.
Now for the cables, See Audio collaborated with Hakugei, a premium cable maker that is also from China. The material used was not specified, but this is a 6N OCC cable with nylon fabric sleeves. It is very soft, supple and has a bit of a weight to it. The male 2 pin connector, splitter, chin slider, and the 3.5mm gold plated plug are all made of metal.
Now let's get to the sound.
Lows:
The lows are what you would expect from an IEM with an all-BA setup. It is on the light side of things but doesn't lack body at all. Subbass has a slightly above average reach accompanied by an adequate amount of rumble and an average level of decay. Midbass is positioned neutrally, it is well controlled and has good thickness.
Overall, while the midbass doesn't have much weight in its attack, the subbass slightly makes up for it. The lows of the Bravery give a lot of room for the other frequencies to shine, especially the mids.
Mids:
The mids are presented in a forward and intimate manner. It feels a bit "in your face". Vocals are a little thin but have great transparency, making the female vocals more forward and livelier than male vocals, although the latter still have substantial weight. Despite having that boost in the upper mids region and its forwardness, the mids never sounded shouty or aggressive.
Overall, the mids are what I consider to be the main strength of the Bravery. The mids are reproduced vividly, and that slight boost in the upper mids really adds shimmer and fun factor to the vocals and instruments.
Highs:
The highs have a small boost in its reproduction. It is well extended yet controlled. Both the treble reach and its extension are just above average, with the treble providing a great amount of sparkle and clarity in each track. That being said, sibilance is non-existent in this region.
Overall, the highs have that nice elevation that is preferred by many without painfully harassing your ears. Small details are noticeably well preserved even in complex tracks.
Soundstage and Imaging:
The stage expands naturally, with its size being slightly above average. It adds a very open and spacious feeling to the music, although the width definitely has more expansion than the height. Imaging, alongside the separation and layering of the instruments are simply excellent. There is a great amount of air in the stage and different instruments can be distinguished from each other with little effort.
Conclusion:
The Bravery is a capable IEM, showcasing an overall technical performance that far exceeds many other IEMs in the same price bracket, and my expectations as well. Aside from the sound, it is pretty evident that See Audio really aims to upgrade the customer experience by partnering with brands like Hakugei and Azla, and the results are obviously satisfying.
Tags:
In-Ear Monitors