Brainwavz : Old vs New - Pro Alpha vs M4
In every company's line-up, there are models which get lost in the shuffle. For instance, we all know about Sennheiser IE8 and we know a bit about IE7, but how many own or talk about IE6? Even with the recent JVC FXDs, FXD80 gets the mind share and lots of owners, FXD70s got a few owners, but not many own or talk about FXD60. Within TE, most attention is paid to M2 and M1 followed by M3 (most because of the price), but I rarely see a mention of Pro Alpha. Back when I did the Xears vs Brainwavz comparison, I saw a very strong family resemblance in sound across the line from Pro Alpha (herein referred to as PA) to M3. That resemblance has not died off completely - in frustrating me, that is. PA's cable has memory that irritates me and M4's cable just tangles into a royal mess almost every time I take it out of the case. That said, let's first revisit PA (with stock bi-flanges).
Though 'from memory' comparisons are fundamentally flawed, I'll do it anyways as I've spent some time with both M1 and M2 not too long ago.
PA has a slightly distant presentation where the whole sound stage feels shifted by a few rows. It has a very slight U-shaped response, but the emphasis is on the word 'slight'. So, next to M4, it even feels balanced. Even from my first encounter with PA, I remember that it had a better sense of space than M1 and M2. It separates the elements at the left and right corners better and also may have a slight advantage of better imaging compared to M1 and M2. What it lacks is a bit of clarity and resolution which pushes it behind M1 in the pecking order.
The bass of PA is nicely extended. While it does not rumble greatly (only gently), it has a bit more sub-bass presence than M1 or M2. The mid-bass is slightly bumped and the quantity feels like it could beat M1 and M3, but not M2. But, it must be said that the quantity is nowhere close to 'bass heavy' and it does not stray into the mid range. It carries more impact than what I remember with M1, but it does not have the clarity or texture of the latter, so it's kind of a trade-off between the two.
The mid range retains the familiar M-series character of being smooth, non-sibilant and easy on the ears. But, it is slightly less textured when compared to M1 or M2 making it sound less fluid compared to it's peers. M1 and M2 are not only (relatively) more forward in the mid range, but they produce details well.
The treble, like the bass, has better quantity than M1 and is a bit more forward than both M1 and M2. But, it lacks the full extension or resolution and sounds a tad grainy at times.
Moving on to M4, it has a strong V-shape and hence has enhanced quantity at both ends. That coupled with an intimate presentation makes everything upfront. Better treble presence improves the clarity and the overall sound has a slightly better texture and resolution compared to PA. The presentation style leans towards aggressive (but I would never call it aggressive stand-alone) next to the laid-back presentation of PA.
M4 owns the PA at both ends. Both bass and treble are forward with M4, have much more quantity, resolution and clarity. The bass has better impact and far better sub-bass presence. The treble has better sparkle and details. But, taken stand-alone, they are not of the highest quality which is to be expected given it's price range. The mid range has better texture than PA. Though it is recessed, the whole presentation of M4 is more intimate next to PA, which makes it easy to glean the details. The sound stage width of PA is better, but depth perception in M4 is better. In terms of overall stage size, M4 is actually smaller, but it is hardly felt due to the 'fun' V-shape it has. Separation on M4 is a tad better as PA tends to sound a little blended at times.
Overall, I'd say that for someone upgrading from a PL11 or ES18, moving to PA or M1 is an easy transition. M4 due to it's upfront, V-shaped response, may not appeal to everybody and may need time getting used to. But, personally, I can live with M4 much more easily than a PA (or even M1/M2/M3).
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