The HD381F comes in a diminutive little box, showcasing the earphones through a round plastic window. The rear of the box lists specifications and the accessories (both of which I�ll write below). Taking out the contents, you are greeted with a plastic zip pouch with two extra pairs of eartips, a cable extender, and a strange-looking cable wrapper which I have no idea how to use. Beyond that there�s not much to say.

Comparing the Brainwavz Hybrid pad (left) to the SRH840 pad (right).

To be honest, I was quite confused at first as to what the Hybrid pads were supposed to do. From the name alone, one can assume the Hybrid pads are designed to provide a sort of �best of both worlds� between pleather and velour earpads, but since I don�t actually own any velour pads, I can�t make any direct comparisons and can only speak from what I can remember.

Comparing the stock Takstar Pro 80 pad (left) to the Brainwavz pleather earpad (right).

From my observations and listening sessions, I found the Hybrid pads to seem to combine the comfort of velour pads without sacrificing the more closed-in seal and sound of pleather pads. Sound-wise the hybrids didn�t sound much (if any) different compared to its pleather counterpart, and as such, my comments on their sound are about identical to the pleather earpads.

That being said, although they present a whole new level of comfort to most headphones on the market, I�m not entirely sure if they make any major improvements to the sound. On the AKG K240 Studio, which already has a large soundstage with stock pads, the Brainwavz earpads� depth increases the space between your ears and the headphone drivers, pushing back the soundstage. This space also gives the lower midrange more resonance, giving the impression of more warmth. The bass also seems to be rather diminished with the Brainwavz pads, and in turn, the treble frequencies have more emphasis. On the Takstar Pro 80, the changes are a slightly different story (no noticeable increase in warmth, but major emphasis on treble), but in the end the effect is about the same.

With these impressions, I still can�t really say the Brainwavz earpads provide much of an improvement in your headphones� sound. Some people (myself included) might like it, others might not, but then again, I don�t think one can (rather, should) expect that from a pair of earpads.

With top-of-the-line materials and an accommodating design, the Brainwavz earpads take your headphones� comfort to the next level. However, if you care a lot about keeping your headphones' sound intact, be forewarned that the earpads can and do have an impact on that, and you might not exactly like the changes. But if you can brush it off for phenomenal comfort, then that's no problem at all.

None that I can think of.

Again, I would like to thank Pandora at Brainwavz for providing the earpads you see in this review. You could say I took a little too long to review these earpads, but I guess you could also say I was distracted by their awe-inspiring comfort.

2015 has been an epic year, and with the advent of this new one, I hope to be able to improve my writing and churn out more reviews for you guys! This has been thatBeatsguy of DB Headphones; thanks for reading!

�At Brainwavz we have a simple mission, to produce innovative, high quality audio products with a dedicated focus on high-end sound at a realistic price. Our strength, success and product range is built on our unique relationship with our customers and users, a relationship that has produced a simple and obvious result. We give real-users real sound quality. 2014 will see Brainwavz pushing forward with an expanded product line, continuing with unique and innovative products, from earphones to headphones to audio accessories.�

Company website: www.brainwavzaudio.com

I can't say much for the way the Lotoo PAW 5000 arrived as they were sent my way by another reviewer and not the manufacturer or a third-party seller, but when I opened up the package I was greeted with a small box that immediately split into two when I took it out.

The top half contained a flat and well-constructed USB 3.0 cable, a neoprene armband and a plastic case which allows the PAW5k to be used with the armband. I didn't have use for any of the latter two as (for the armband and case) I'm a potato who doesn't exercise at all and (for the cable) because I transfer all my music using a MicroSD card.

The bottom half contained the warranty and quick-start guide and underneath those, the deceptively small player nestled in black velvet-covered foam. I have to say, this player is presented quite nicely and the packaging seems to be adequate without being excessive.

The Lotoo PAW 5000 is a small all-in-one Digital Audio Player (DAP) constructed of what seems to be two metal panels with a plastic middle separating the two. I'm really not worried about the player breaking anytime soon because of its solid construction. It fits really nicely in my hand because of its rounded corners and if anything feels a little heavier than expected.

The front consists of the screen, a navigation scroll wheel with a play/pause/ok button in the middle, fast forward and rewind buttons, a music menu button which also allows for Fn functionality with a long press, a back button which also gives access to the setup menu with a long press, a button which accesses the proprietary 'ATE' (Acoustic Timbre Embellisher) and a parametric EQ, and the power button.

Loading Music and Format Support

Loading music has never been easier for me; I did my typical firmware stability test and loaded my phone's 64GB Micro SD card directly into the DAP without formatting of any kind. Lo and behold, it worked without a hitch! Several other DAPs which I shall not name have hiccuped at this stage, being rather confused with the other files present on the card, but the Lotoo PAW 5000 prevails!

I don't personally own any DSD files or much of anything beyond 16/44.1 FLAC. Yes, I'm not a believer, I know. However, for the purposes of this review, I downloaded a few of my father's high-resolution and DSD music and loaded them into the PAW 5000. The DAP ate them without a hitch and gave me music just like with any old 16/44.1 file. The PAW 5000 works well with MP3 and WAV and also appears to accept APE, OGG, M4A, AAC, ALAC and CUE playlists.

Screen and UI

The screen isn't the biggest, but is more than adequate for a simple DAP. The Lotoo PAW 5000 comes with a rather exotic UI, but fortunately it was very easy to learn how to to use it. It has a rather retro styling which to me is very endearing and unlike anything else on the market and the limited space is managed rather well with all useful information being present on the screen.

The UI seems to be very responsive with no noticeable lag whenever I operate the DAP. Scanning the music into the database didn't take long at all either. There was no 5-minute-long wait for me this time like, again, some other DAPs have forced me to undergo. The scroll wheel is a huge asset with larger libraries like the one I have; zipping from A to Z has never been faster with any DAP I have used so far and is only limited by the speed at which you turn the wheel.

It's very easy to access whatever you want to on this device; everything can be done in just a few clicks. However, something that does annoy me is how you can't skip tracks unless you hit that awkwardly-placed power button to first activate the screen. Please do fix this as I'm a user that tends to skip around my music a lot and it took me a while to get used to how the PAW 5000 does things.

Another thing that may be an annoyance to some users is how the UI is a file-based one with no support for tags of any kind. I happen to already be a very organized file-based DAP user due to being exposed to the Shozy Alien and it's minimalist UI but people who are used to tag-based UIs will have to spend some time cleaning up their library before being able to use this DAP.

The headphone out is good enough for IEMs and efficient cans but chokes when feeding more inefficient full-sized cans such as the Sennheiser HD650. This is a DAP that is best paired with more portable audio equipment it seems. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though as it means that it won't hiss with the most sensitive of IEMs due to the lower power output.

I briefly tried to utilize the line-out of the PAW 5000 and fed the signal into both my Gilmore Lite and Project Ember. Unfortunately, it was beaten by the lowly UD110v2 DAC which has a much smaller price tag, so I have to say that the internal DAC is best paired with the internal amp.

Not long after the release of the Pistons 3.0, everyone on the Pistons threads � myself included � was surprised to hear news about a new IEM from Xiaomi. Immediately the �first responders� set up shop and gathered scraps of info quickly, and this new IEM was dubbed the Pistons 4.0 � at least, until the translations came out. No, this is a brand-spanking new IEM from the smartphone manufacturer featuring a hybrid dual driver design at the same price the entire Pistons line was sold at -- $16, or CNY 99. That, in and of itself, is a crazy � and risky � feat to pull off.

The question is � did Xiaomi pull it off right? Find out after the jump.

Selling a dual-driver design at a $20 price point is outright insane. At that point, profit margins are already so low you probably won�t notice there�s even any profit from this. Trying to sell one with the same stuff the Pistons 3.0 had and still making a noticeable profit, however, is outright impossible �even Xiaomi seems to acknowledge that. As such, they had to make compromises. And what other place would be so easy to cut costs on than the packaging?

To summarise, Xiaomi eschewed the fancy plastic case and neat silicone earphone holder of the Pistons line in favour of a package made almost entirely out of cardboard. As much of a disappointment as it is, it really isn�t that much of a big deal unless you have a pressing need to store the Hybrids when not in use. Even then, the cardboard �case� of the Hybrids seem to do an equally effective job (at least until the cardboard is crushed at some point). If the Hybrids are your first serious IEM purchase, you�d probably be using them as your main IEM, so again, the lack of a proper case isn�t that big of a deal.

(As a side note, believe it or not, the Hybrid can fit in the Pistons 3.0�s silicone case. We�ll cover why in a bit.)

Design-wise the Xiaomi Hybrid is actually quite similar to the Pistons 3.0 released before it. Their new housings and Y-split aside, the two IEMs share the same remote/mic unit, the same angled nozzles, the same cable, and the same straight connector. The only difference between the aforementioned parts is a colour change, as you can see in the image to the right. These design similarities allow Xiaomi to reduce manufacturing costs by using the same parts from an earlier design, and also allow the Hybrid to fit in the 3.0�s silicone case as I mentioned earlier.

On that note, the similarities between the two Xiaomi IEMs in design also translate to similarities in build. As such, I don�t think one would be disappointed in the build of the Hybrids here � they�re about as durable as one could expect of a $20 IEM. The cable still has that Kevlar (or whatever fabric it is) below the Y-split, so expect cable noise similar to the Pistons 3. However, considering the fact that the Hybrid takes from most of the components of the 3.0, I�m a little confused as to why they decided to make an entirely new Y-split in its place � it�s really little more than a tiny, flimsy rubber square (in comparison to the metal-housed Y-split of the Pistons 3.0). In the end, though, it�s still the end user that determines how long an IEM lasts. Care for it well and it should last.

The Hybrid, again having taken from its predecessor�s design, also has similar fit characteristics to the Pistons 3.0. The fit is similarly straightforward, and also quite comfortable. They are mainly worn straight-down, so cable noise might be an issue, but you can wear them around the ear with a little practice (same goes for the Pistons 3.0). The Hybrid doesn�t seem to employ the dual damping system for the Pistons 2.0 and 3.0, so less airflow is permitted through the housing and, as such, better passive isolation compared to the aforementioned IEMs.

The source equipment used in this review is a fifth-generation iPod Touch and an iPad 3 directly running the Xiaomi Hybrid, and a PC running iTunes 12 and Foobar2k powering the Hybrid through a Schiit Fulla DAC/Amp. The EQ apps used in their respective test is TuneShell on iOS and Electri-Q on the PC. The eartips used on the Hybrid are the included medium size eartips. The list of the test tracks I listen to while reviewing the Hybrid can be found here, although I will include links to specific songs in the review for a more direct point of reference.

The Hybrids have been burned-in for at least 50 hours prior to this review, most of which comprised of direct listening sessions. Over that period I noted some changes, which I will explain in further detail below.

With everything else said and done, let�s get to the sound.

Bass:

The Hybrid�s dynamic driver starts off strong with an impactful low-end reminiscent of the Pistons 2.0, but with control more akin to that of the 3.0. Its more restricted venting system allows for better passive isolation, allowing you to hear its great sub-bass extension (Wiz Khalifa � On My Level). Its strength also contributes to the Hybrid�s warm midrange tonality, giving lower octaves a heavier, more viscous response. Similar to the 2.0, I found the Hybrid�s bass to be a little overbearing and excessively thick at times (Coldplay � Magic), but it�s not the worst I�ve ever heard (although from an �audiophile� standpoint, it does come quite close).

Midrange:

What really piqued my interest in the Hybrid was how the drivers would handle the midrange and treble. But to be honest, when I listened to them straight out of the box, I was not impressed. For me, they just didn�t have the presence that allowed it to shine through any genre of music as the 3.0 was capable of. I mean, sure, they don�t sound particularly bad, but there was just something�missing in the vocals and the instruments in the music that I wasn�t able to put my finger on at first.

Treble:

But then it hit me. The Hybrids weren�t off in the midrange; they were off in the treble. To sum things up without wasting too much time, the treble frequencies of the Xiaomi Hybrid were tuned to have as little sibilance as possible. No, really, they have practically no sibilance from what I�m hearing. Though having little sibilance is a good thing, there is what they call too much of a good thing. This is what they call too much of a good thing.

I have read other impressions of the Hybrids from other owners of the IEM on the primary Head-Fi thread, and a few of them seem to report not much �detail� on these Hybrids. To be honest, this intrigues me a bit, as in my opinion treble �quantity� doesn�t outright mean treble �detail�. Okay, yes, it doesn�t have that much treble detail as far as I can hear, but once I put it up against the other Xiaomi earphones I found they all have similar levels of detail retrieval, or at least, as my ears tell me.

In the end, though, the treble dip in the sibilance region still confuses me. This never existed in the old Pistons line, which leads me to think something � or someone � made a suggestion to the tuning that made the Hybrid sound the way it does. Could it be that Luca Bignardi dude that Xiaomi was said to hire according to their official page? All signs seem to point to him. Whoever he is, I think he�s made it clear to himself and to the entire audiophile community that he does not know how to tune a headphone (well, either that or he just has a weird way of hearing things.

Soundstage/Presentation:
Being a more closed-back IEM compared to the rest of Xiaomi�s manufactured earphones, their soundstage sounds more compressed and restricted in comparison to the airier presentation of, say, the Pistons 2 and 3. Their spatial imaging is decent, but nothing here stands out.

Genre Proficiency:

The overall signature of the Hybrid leans towards a rather dark, bass-heavy sound signature. It doesn�t offer anything special midrange-wise, so you won�t find them to do much justice to acoustic recordings (Yiruma � Indigo, Coeur de Pirate � Off to Sleep). They are, however, clear enough to make electronic genres sound pretty good (Televisor � Deya, 7 Minutes Dead � Sidewinder).

Summary:

Overall the Xiaomi Hybrid does not impress me sound-wise. I mean, the Hybrids have pretty controlled bass and a decently clear midrange, but their unusual treble tuning has vocals sounding rather off in my opinion. I know I don�t have any experience with hybrid earphones as of this writing, but I don�t think the Hybrids sound like hybrids � in fact, I think the guys behind the IEM could�ve just left it a single dynamic and it�d probably sound just as good (or as bad, whichever opinion you have). I just don�t think they bring any more to the table than the Pistons 2.0 and 3.0 already do.

My conclusion in this section is the same as that of the main Sound Quality section � the Xiaomi Hybrids sound decent, but nothing about them makes me really want to listen more. For gaming, their rather dark-tilted signature doesn�t really prove helpful. However, I did like how the Hybrids played along with movies. The bass is explosive enough to match that of a half-decent cinema, and all in all it really isn�t all that bad, so a bit of a �meh� here for me.

Being an IEM with a 101 dB sensitivity figure, it�s clear they�re designed to work with weaker-powered devices � such as mobile devices � without any fuss. On that note, they don�t seem to improve much with amplification � at least, when I give them the extra power output from my Schiit Fulla. EQ, however, seems to work quite effectively on the Hybrids. With a little tweaking, one can manage to compensate for the treble dip in the Hybrids and bring back the upper registers it�s supposed to have. With that they actually start to sound more like the Pistons follow-up we�ve all been waiting for. But considering the fact that this is after compensation, it�s still a little disappointing to say the least.

The Xiaomi Hybrids retail for $16 dollars, or 99 CNY � the same price the Pistons 2 and 3 before it retailed for. Now, that�s not a bad price per se � but when you consider its price bracket, now oversaturated and overrun by �hype of the year� and �flavour of the month� IEMs, you really can�t consider the Hybrids to have that high of a price-to-performance ratio. And what really made the Pistons 2 and 3 the budget hits they were � their secret to success � was just that � their insane value for the money. At the low, low price of $16 dollars, you could get an accommodating IEM that does what it needs to and doesn�t leave you hanging (unless you�re a veteran audiophile or just picky). At that same price, you can also get one of the hype-of-the-year brand-less Chinese IEMs that provide high performance, but at the cost of severe reliability issues.

Versus Xiaomi Pistons 3.0 ($16):

The Pistons 3.0 is, by far, one of my favourite IEMs; there�s no doubt about that. There�s also no doubt that it completely defeats the Hybrid in all aspects. Build-wise the Hybrid is worrying in certain aspects. Sound-wise they really just can�t keep up. To be honest, I�m a little dismayed. I mean, considering the fact that the Hybrids have two drivers at their disposal, you�d expect them to sound phenomenal.

Early impressions from other reviewers pointed to the hybrids being a sort of sound-wise �middle ground� between the more balanced 3.0 and the bass-heavy 2.0. But now that I have the Hybrids for myself I can�t bring myself to say that anymore. These Hybrids are an entirely different monster�and not in a good way. The treble dip still bothers my ears to no end, and the bass, though fine, doesn�t really help in the IEM�s overall sound. The Pistons 2.0, at least, sounds much more coherent and natural (if you can call it that).

In the end, I can�t bring myself to recommend the Xiaomi Hybrid to anyone. They just don�t provide the level of performance you�d expect from a hybrid follow-up to the great-sounding Pistons 3.0, instead sounding more like an experimental prototype than anything. I will admit, though, it is a respectable effort by Xiaomi to break the price limits and provide a hybrid IEM design at a sub-$20 price point � and that is insane. But even then, it still just doesn�t sound that good.

Improve the tuning.

Kick out the one responsible for the treble dip.

Again I would like to sincerely thank George at Gearbest.com for providing the sample unit of the Xiaomi Hybrid you see in this review. You could check out the rest of the images I took during the shoot here (link unavailable), and you could check out some more of my reviews here.

This has been thatBeatsguy of DB Headphones; thanks for reading!