iBasso Audio Jr. Brownie Headphones Review – 45mm Dynamic Tesla Driver Of Fun
iBasso Audio Jr. Brownie is a $79 USD pair of over-the-ear headphones with a Tesla Driver at the core, crisp and bouncy sound, vivid dynamics and with a detachable cable. Today we will review the Brownie and explore how they compare to other headphones in the entry-level market.
Introduction
iBasso Audio Jr. is the iBasso sub-brand of products designed with an entry-level price at the core, exceptional build quality and with a smooth design. Brownie is the first over-the-ear pair of headphones from the series, but they quickly conquered my heart with their really strong price performance ratio.
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Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3T8GZA0
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4mutT6P
Build Quality – Design
iBasso Jr. Brownie is a closed-back pair of headphones, with a 45mm dynamic driver at the core and with a strong 2.2 Tesla magnetic flux density. iBasso uses a 0.055mm CCAW voice coil, and they have a 115 dB SPL with a 32 OHM impedance. The cable of the Brownie is detachable and iBasso uses knowledge from their premium models to tune and build the Brownie, so despite the entry-level price, they promise to make it worth your time.
Full package includes an EVA storage case, cloth storage bag, and a detachable cable,and a microphone that you can attach to the headphones with a 2-Pin connector found on the cable. They are also very lightweight at 243 grams, so things sound interesting for the Brownie.
Subjective Usage
iBasso Brownie feels quite tight on my head, has a very secure fit, and since they are closed-back, they isolate quite well from the outside noise. There is minimal leakage and the overall comfort is ok. There is a bit of a hotspot at the top of my head and they are tight, but happily you can adjust the headphones quite well for larger heads, so you don’t need to worry about the fit. Overall passive noise isolation increases while music is playing, and with music off, it is between 10 and 15 dB.
Cable quality is decent, it is a flexible cable, much better than you typically get in the entry-level and the option to add a microphone is a huge bonus if you’re a gamer. This being said, it also does not conduct microphonic noise so comfort is better than expected in every way.
Brownie is one of the lightest headphones I ever tried, so even if the headband does not have a lot of padding, it really does not need much padding.
Sound Quality
Pairings – Despite their entry-level price, I did run Brownie with all the latest DAC AMPs I reviewed, including FiiO K17, iBasso DX320 MAX Ti, Hiby W4, HIDIZS AP80 PRO MAX, FiiO M33. Acer Nitro 18 AI Laptop (with 3.5mm adapters), Luxsin X9.
Their thirst for power is quite high and Brownie asks for quite a bit of juice before they play well, but once powered enough, they have plenty of kick. They are not sensitive to source noise and can generally pair well with entry-level sources.
Overall Signature – iBasso Junior Brownie is a pair of headphones with a warm, slightly boomy sound, a lot of weight in each kick and drum hit, and a vivid vocal range. There’s a bit of extra sparkle and shine in the treble, so basically they are V-Shaped, but with a bit more bass, especially midbass than treble, having a rather bloomy sound.
Bass – At the bass level, we start right from 20 Hz, but most of the power is achieved around 40 Hz with a strong punch between 40Hz and 80 Hz. There’s also quite a bit of mid bass between 100 Hz and 150 Hz, and with a bit of extra upper bass as well. This being said, the most audible part is the mid and upper bass so they sound a bit boomy rather than basshead in style. Still, the sub-bass extension is plenty and enough for dubstep, electronic and pop. Bass does not have a lot of texture so it will not sound dry or too detailed.
Midrange – Vocal range is a combination of deep male voices with vivid female voices. There’s a bit of recess right in the middle, which creates a bit of darkness and bloom over the entire sound, but the texture is smooth and a bit wet, creating a pleasing overall tone and sound.
Treble – You can expect a slightly sharp treble, with a good extension up to around 14 kHz, and a gentle roll-off above. Brownie has around 8 dB of extra treble relative to the midrange, while the bass is around 14 dB extra in the mid and upper bass. Treble will be present and interesting but not overly fatiguing unless you’re extremely sensitive to treble.
Dynamics And Textures – We also get a natural dynamic range with a smooth and relaxed texture, good amount of micro dynamics and a natural resolution for the price range. It feels like Brownie is tuned for fun, having some boom and impact, it is not an analytical pair of headphones but does not sound bland or boring either. It has enough details and resolution to stay interesting but does not overdo things to cross into the cold or too much territory.
Loudness Saturation Gradient – Brownie handles high volumes as well as it handles low volumes, which is top. I don’t feel the need to lower or increase the volume unnaturally and I can enjoy my music the way I want. This means that the total harmonic distortion at high volumes is not very high, while at low volumes, the sound is consistent and does not have a high distortion either. You will enjoy them regardless of the volume and they handle volume well, but they need a lot of power to gain dB, so your source should be powerful, yet most laptops and soundcards will deliver plenty.
Soundstage – iBasso gave Brownie an intimate staging with a focus on the lead instruments along with the voices. There’s a good separation between the foreground and background layers while instruments blend together to create a complete sound in the tuning of the Brownier.
Value – Conclusion
Considering the meager price of the Brownie and that I just spent a couple of hours with them and yet I feel happy and pumped up, I would give them a high rating. From the good comfort, good build quality, microphone support, good resolution and fun tuning for an entry-level price, Brownie is a good pair of headphones, and they even come with a transport case.
While iBasso usually delivers more neutral tunings, their Junior Brownie pair of headphones feels like it sounds just right for name, it sounds bassy, fun and modern, with a good construction quality and it is a fully recommended purchase in our review today.
PROs
- Bombastic and fun tuning with a good amount of punch and kick
- V-Shaped overall tuning so it also has enough treble to keep things interesting
- Good resolution for the price point
- Good extension in the bass
- Intimate soundstage and a good foreground – background separation
- Lightweight and easy to transport
Cons
- Fit is on the tighter side
- Somewhat hard to drive relative to my expectations
Product Link
Amazon – https://amzn.to/3T8GZA0
Aliexpress – https://s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_c4mutT6P
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Full Playlist used for this review
We listened to more songs than those named in this playlist, but those are excellent for identifying a sonic signature. I recommend trying most of the songs from this playlist, especially if you’re searching for new music! The playlists are different for Spotify, Tidal and Youtube, and based on the songs I enjoy and are available on each!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_cjBXGmwSHSdGcwuc_bKbBDGHL4QvYBu
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5J3oloz8Riy9LxEGenOjQ0?si=979ba4f082414be7
https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/330fd544-8e5b-4839-bd35-676b2edbb3d5
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