Sound –
Testing Methodology: Measured using Arta via IEC 711 coupler to Startech external sound card. 7-9KHz peaks may be artefacts/emphasised due to my measurement setup and I feel this is the case here. Measurements besides channel balance are volume matched at 1KHz. Fit depth normalised to my best abilities to reduce coupler resonance. Still, due to these factors, my measurements may not accurately reflect the earphone or measurements taken by others.
Tonality –
As provided by their marketing material, this is a roughly U-shaped signature with higher contrast instigating a vivid character. It has a full and powerful bass, slightly smaller sized but high-clarity midrange and a crisp, energetic treble. Due to its contrast with dips between each core frequency band and as the midrange isn’t especially laid-back, it would be equally valid to dub this a W-shaped sound depending on how you judge metrics in sound. Bass emphasis is executed in good taste, increasing towards the sub-bass but leaving some warmth and fullness in the mid and upper-bass to fill out the sound and counteract brightness elsewhere. This works in tandem with the midrange tuning which emphasises the 4kHz range for clarity but also achieves some sense of robustness due to an earlier centre-midrange rise. A smoother lower-treble ensures things don’t become sharp or fatiguing while a subsequent bump in the middle-treble gives this monitor a great sense of vibrancy and shimmer. The Bravery is one of the more unique IEMs I’ve heard of late. This is not a bad thing but those wanting something linear and Harman-esque also won’t find that here, this is a clearly coloured and musically inclined voicing.
Bass –
Many BA monitors don’t leave much of an impression here but you’d be wrong to assume the same with the Bravery; this is a pretty terrific BA bass implementation. A slight mid-bass focus is apparent, but impressively even extension into the sub-bass ensures notes aren’t overly tubby. Rather, the note presentation is powerful, robust and very well-structured. With a progressive drop into a slightly recessed lower midrange, the tonality isn’t exceedingly warm, and bass assumes a more aggressive and dynamic over smooth and warm character. It is impressively deeply extending too, but as is the case on essentially all BA monitors, you don’t get the same slam and brain-shaking rumble as a good dynamic driver. Nonetheless, I was impressed to find some pressure and weight in the sub-bass that many BA-based competitors are lacking.
Similarly, I was impressed by the sound linearity between sub and mid-bass which means grants a good balance between impact and overall texture. I never felt its pressurisation was overwhelming fine details in the mid-bass nor affecting separation. While separation isn’t the highlight here due to the thicker note structure, it never left me wanting either due to the agile note presentation. The Bravery attacks assertively and decays quickly, portraying a pacey, defined and aggressively textured presentation. The fullness on display helps to prevent the plastic timbre affecting many BA monitors though the decay and texture isn’t quite as natural as a dynamic driver earphone, nevertheless. Though not for those wanting perfect balance, the Bravery has a hugely satisfying and kinetic low-end with excellent tuning and surprising extension and dynamics.
Mids –
When reviewing a coloured monitor such as this, I’ve definitely found that earphones that uphold a consistent character tend to fair better as an overall package. The Bravery is such a creation but do note that its colouration inherently means it isn’t the most versatile performer available. The midrange is a touch laid-back relative to the bass but is never overshadowed. It is defined rather by a slightly diminished note size due to its leaner note body and lifted upper-midrange. That said, the tuning makes a lot of sense when taken as a whole. A medium lower-mid nadir offers sound separation from the bass, avoiding excess colouration. While a hint of warmth seeps into male vocals at times, it never comes close to sounding congested or chesty. In general, this can be considered a mostly clean, slightly lean and clarity-orientated tuning. Despite its clearer voicing, intensity is mitigated by the slightly laid-back positioning of the midrange in addition to its smoother articulation. On the flipside, the 4k enhancement means extension remains, retaining a defined note structure and strong sense of openness despite the lower treble tuning.
The smoother articulation saps sharpness from its voicing whilst enhancing contrast with treble instrumentation, further contributing to its energetic nature. However, while intensity and glare are absent, vocal size is slightly reduced, resulting in a voicing that is just a touch strained at times, lacking the structure, gusto and fluidity of more coherent or linear monitors. In return, the Bravery rewards with excellent energy and vocal clarity. Though notes are lean, the tone isn’t cool, and I found the combination of light warmth and lifted clarity to achieve great euphony altogether. The slightly earlier 2kHz bump grants a slightly more robust voicing to midrange instruments which prevents the midrange from sounding overtly diminished despite being slightly laid-back and reduced in size. Though not perfectly balanced nor perfectly accurate in timbre, this is a very pleasant and musical colouration executed with respectable moderation. The result is a vivid and energetic presentation that plays stunning complement to its bass and treble.
Highs –
The Yume was lauded for its tonality, but some were harsher on its technical performance – though in fairness, this is a common experience around this price tag. See Audio has taken this feedback on board, and the Bravery is a very well-detailed IEM that easily surpasses most around its asking price. This has been achieved both technically, due to a sharp transient response yielding a very well-defined note presentation, in addition to artificially via tonal colouration. Treble as a whole sits just behind the bass but in front of the midrange. Emphasis isn’t huge and, going by ear, I would suggest that the peak on my measurements is exaggerated by coupler resonance. I’m hearing an overall smoother lower treble with a hint of 6kHz emphasis redeeming attack and crispness alongside a small wideband boost though the middle-treble in order to imbue additional energy, shimmer and air. This modest bias towards overtones results in a high-clarity treble response but, in so doing, diminished note body. Accordingly, an accurate, textured presentation this is not. However, by the same tune, its thinner note structure contributes to exemplary separating ability.
In tandem with its defined note presentation and slightly more revealing tuning, the Bravery highlight fine details and additional focus is drawn towards its strong sense of air and atmosphere. The Bravery also extends impressively at the very top, not to the extent that it is sparkly and micro-detailed, but headroom is very high-level for its asking price. Of course, with colouration comes certain trade-offs. Here, due to highlighting the leading edge of percussive instruments slightly more, it does have a hint of brittleness and metallic timbre, lacking body and texture on acoustic tracks especially. Though transients are well-defined, the bias towards the subsequent shimmer and ring over the initiate bite of notes also means its image can also come across as a bit diffuse. Still, I found the Bravery to resolve minutiae far better than most while delivering its copious air and energy without excessive emphasis. While it doesn’t have the cleanest background, it also isn’t especially peaky which permits it to do all of the above without any sharpness or glare.
Soundstage –
The Bravery crafts an impressively wide soundstage with good but not great depth, forming an oval presentation. Width extends beyond the head and, whilst vocals aren’t forward, occupy a closer position relative to lateral instrumentation and cues. I was also impressed by its imaging performance. As the Bravery has a slightly more aggressive treble and emphasis spans through the audible regions, you do get clear cut and well-defined cues giving this monitor a sharp sense of direction if not the most pinpoint accurate localisation – that being precise position in a three-dimensional space. Nevertheless, the less focused foreground and centre image give it a floatier character; this isn’t the most coherent and stable presentation but not a hazy one either. However, compare it to something like the Blessing 2 and you will notice its stage is airier and faster, but also not quite as structured or layered. More specifically, the Bravery doesn’t have an especially delineated background/foreground. Nonetheless, separation operates at a high level, slightly less so in the bass but a great performer through leaner mids and treble. There is palpable air and space surrounding each element here and small details are easy to discern.
Driveability –
With a low 18-ohm impedance and higher 110dB sensitivity, the Bravery is quite an efficient earphone altogether. However, it isn’t too sensitive to the extent that source pairings become problematic.
Output Impedance Sensitivity
With no mention of a flat impedance design and going by the rule of eighths, you would ideally want to pair the Bravery with a 2-ohm or lower source. Testing this empirically, switching from the Shanling M2X (1-ohm) to the Hiby R6 (10-ohms) revealed a marked shift in signature. On the Hiby, bass was diminished with reduced extension. The midrange became more laid-back and the top-end rolled-off substantially. In turn, I would recommend sticking to the aforementioned criteria when considering source pairings on the Bravery.
Driving Power
Otherwise, the Bravery isn’t too concerned with source pairings. It is efficient enough not to require too much power or volume so portable source pairings are sufficient so long as output impedance is fairly low. They played well from my Xperia 5 II, delivering a balanced and punchy sound. However, stepping up to the M2X revealed a tighter and more extended bass especially. Stepping up to my desktop stack and there was surprisingly little difference. Albeit, the Bravery does scale nicely in terms of soundstage and air. A dongle such as the Hiby FC3 would be a great portable and economical complement here. In addition, noise handling is quite good. On volume 0 on the M2X with the amp circuit active, there was just a hint of noise but zero when music was playing.
Suggested Pair Ups
The Bravery isn’t a difficult earphone to drive as long as the output impedance is 2-ohms or below. I would suggest a dedicated source of some kind would deliver the best experience in terms of dynamics and bass control especially. Though even an entry level dongle or BT receiver such as the Shanling UP2 would suffice, with air and soundstage width getting a boost on higher-end sources. Tonally, the Bravery paired best to me with smoother sources. It has a more aggressive treble and leaner midrange, and plenty of separation, so this helps to bring out its musical qualities. A brighter source may over sharpen the image.
