Warwick Acoustics BRAVURA Review – Everything You Need
The Warwick Acoustics BRAVURA is a £6000 Electrostatic headphone system that delivers one of the most enjoyable and …
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"Harmony in Every Heartbeat
November 7, 2024
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Did you have to say effing phenomenal. That was enough for moi!
I picked these up largely because of this review. It was down to this versus the Susvara but with Susvara would have had to upgrade DAC and Amp at substantial $, it would have ended up being a few grand more at least. I also like that the bulk of the audio chain is included and free of variables so I dont have any “what-if” temptations, like rolling amps and cables etc.
Sound is world class. It’s fantastic for literally everything Ive listened to except maybe hip hop (get dynamics for that anyway). Respectfully diverging from Golden I think these are pretty good for EDM and staccato bass, the quickness of the drivers makes the details really fun to hear rather than just the thumping. I listen to a lot of vocals, alt rock and classical and Ive never heard anything better for those genres. Totally agree with Golden’s assessment of strings, less exaggerated than HE1000SE for example, while still being accurate and resolved and totally void of the exhaustive element. I love the effect with vocals being pushed forward that Golden mentions, it’s addictive.
It’s a bummer that neither the energizer or the headphone look very cool (like ZMFs or something), and the cable sucks not just because it’s stiff but because the connectors for some reason stick straight down for like 4 inches and hit your chest if you are reclined (why didnt they point them forward??). Some complain about the clamp force, but I havent had a problem, I have a medium hat size for reference. The headphones themselves are easy to wear for a couple hours, actually prefer them to my Atriums for long listening.
Thanks Goldensound, this is another super accurate review. One of the most trustworthy and informed reviewers out there.
Wave dream into Enleum into Caldera or Bravura for best SS?
Be back in a minute just robbing my local bank you sold me, wow.
♥
Would these be a good mastering headphones ?
nice to hear a youtube reviewer who pronounces Warwick correctly.
Any idea how you might go about doing EQ on these? Especially if you're trying to get bit perfect playback?
"…just pay attention to the rim of the snare drum being hit"
Lol. You're forgetting we're listening to a recording of a recording with Youtube's compression on 💩 computer . 🔉
As luck would have it, I was at one of my local Hifi shops and they had this on display! I was able to listen and while it was quite good, it was not as open or natural or dynamic as my Susvaras running in the Holo Audio stack. So I’m sticking with what I’ve got.
So… if I’m perfectly happy with Susvara + Holo stack, but am looking for a bit more mid-bass and a bit more soundstage, would this be an improvement or simply a trade for something different?
Wow… how did I not find this review sooner?? Makes me want to rethink my system.
How does a recording done in a studio room sound big..? How about a field recording, or live theater, or open space in a 3D video game?
I bought them because everyone was praising them and yes it's true they sound phenomenal but they got a HUGE issue . They distort/clip / crackle ..what ever you may call it and louder levels , which no YouTuber will tell you unfortunately .
Apparently it's an issue of the amp unit not the headphones . I will wait for the third generation . Once they fix that they will be the best headphones on planet earth . At least for me .
Btw the Aperio doenst have that distortion issue .
If you don't care about strong macrodynamics/slam/impact, these are the best headphones I've ever heard. I've owned or heard Susvara, 1266 TC, HE6se, HE1000se, ZMF Atrium/Verite, D8000/Pro, Meze Elite, LCD4 etc.
I wonder if by doing a high quality eq they were able to build the headphones to maximise soundstage/imsging and resolution and then use eq to fix any FR issues that may have come up
I hope that Bravura is much better than the previous Sonoma that was very disappointing. Need to give it a try.
Would you consider it sacrilege for me to run a digital coax from a Bluesound Node, (bypassing it’s DAC but retaining its user interface) into the Sonoma M1 amp/energizer/DAC.
I’m already running the Node’s USB out to an iFi Pro Signature iDSD + iCan stack. That Node in my house is devoted solely to headphone use.
Just wanted to get your/other’s opinions utilizing the digital coax as a connection vs. the USB. Am I splitting hairs and sonically it will not make a difference?
Thanks in advance
IMHO there isn’t a summit headphone system which is worth the asking price. Why? Because it’s a headphone system. For me it can never compete in terms of performance with a speaker system. But headphones systems are damn cool. Just doesn’t make sense attaching the value argument to any of them.
I can't wait for other reviews of this, I think it is going to get a lot of attention considering the value.
Where is our 40k USD DAC review that we can't built in china for 87$
edit: ohh, I stand corrected. holo magical Chinese DAC facepalm
Great review as always! And the ones i trust the most. I would really appreciate your recommendation for some amp pairings for the Atrium? Was the Serene good or was there something better?
To the point – no excessive pontificating on pedantic personnel preferences. Well edited, descriptive commentary and ordered review 👌🏼👌🏼 !
When are you going to review: Ferrum Oor, Rebelamp?????
thanks but no need to watch this video! thanks anyway
Would love a review of the Fostex th909.
I noticed a pink panther on your desk. Any association to audio science review? 🤪
Excellent video. I've always thought I would give e-stats a serious chance one of these days, but I have avoided it so far from fear of their infamous weak low frequency representation. This may be a great way to experience some of the best that e-stat has to offer without going fully into the rabbit hole. Thanks!
That's nice, but how long till dust slamming at transonic speed into those exposed membranes before they turn into Swiss cheese especially at so high voltages?
You are one of best audio reviews on YouTube. I have a question. I admire orchestral music and I am curious how “resolving” headphones can be before it becomes a fault. When I listen to a symphony I rather like hearing the whole body of the orchestra — it’s part of the enjoyment; if I was able to hear each instrument separately, I think I would be rather overwhelmed. I use an Arya v2 now and like it very much. But then I wonder if I am missing out if I went for a more resolving pair of cans. What’s your take? Thanks!
So…did you like the Bravura? 🙂 I kid, I kid.
So this review begs the question: is there such thing as too much detail retrieval? Or, when is the detail retrieval capability simply enough and not worth sacrificing other attributes to achieve more (such as bass slam)?
Great review – super enjoyable to listen to!
Are the pads removable ?
If not can the manufacturer replace them ?
I don't wanna buy a 34k€ / 6k€ system without replaceable pads
Six thousand pounds….bargain.🤣
As a Focal Utopia owner which is said to be so much punchier than the Susvara, I can't begin to imagine how weak these headphones' punch must be if they're so much wispier than the Susvara…
Gawd damn it…I have $30k worth of equipment and now your telling me I can spend $6k and get better performance. Checking for dealer now…. Hopefully none in the states.
1350V!? Holy hell that's quite a bias
I'll be sure to pick up a pair of these when I, my wife, and my infant child decide we don't mind being homeless for about six months… not sure how I'll convince the latter two, but I'm sold!
I wonder if there is a way to add bone conduction to give that "slam" that you say is missing.
these are all subjective. I hope it won't become a talk of the town again (overrated) then after a few months will dwindle down and will become a thing of the past that no one remembers. Very good subjective review though.
You remind me of Zeos minus the ADHD and filler tangents