Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best-selling in Portable Stereos & Boomboxes
By the time I had learned of the Sharkk Bravo headphones their brief heyday had come and gone. They had originally sold for about $249, however, were quickly discounted as the company must have decided to cut its losses after some negative reviews - most of which were not based on the sound of the Bravo, but instead, on its inexpensive looks. The result? A clearance sale in which the Bravo is being sold brand new for as little as $29.95 including shipping. After hearing the Bravo it is my humble opinion that while this headphone had plenty of competition at its $249 retail price, it has no competition at the clearance price. This is unfortunate for Sharkk. However, because the Bravo is actually a very nice sounding headphone when paired with a good quality headphone amplifier and well recorded source material, it's a boon for those who've been able to purchase this product at the $29.95 price. This headphone is light and comfortable and very easy on the ears. Matched with a Schiit Magni 3 solid state headphone amplifier, and a Little Dot MK2 SE triode, the Bravo has provided this Hi-Fi enthusiast with several hours of non fatiguing listener enjoyment in the short time that I've owned it. As previously stated, if Sharkk had chosen to make the Bravo a little more expensive looking, it probably would have had no problem selling it at the $249 retail price the company originally established for the it. Moreover, to say that the Bravo is a bargain at this price is an understatement. It's a genuine steal, offering high quality sound reproduction at a bargain basement price. I say this because this fascinating little headphone is a similar hybrid design to that of the classic AKG K340 electraset headphone of the 1970s ($300 in 1976, which translates to about $1400 in the present day); a headphone which was cutting edge in its day. Unlike electrostatic headphones which need their own separate power source, the Bravo (like the AKG K340) incorporates a dynamic driver for the bass and a permanently charged electromagnetic driver for the midrange and treble. This gives the Bravo some of the sonic characteristics of electrostatic headphones, without the added expense of a separate and expensive dedicated power amplifier to drive the electrostatics. I said some of the sonic characteristics. However, the Bravo is not exactly about to put the likes of Stax or some of the other manufacturers of electrostatic headphones out of business. Yet, it does in some ways emulate their crystal clear midrange for a small fraction of their price. And this is good news for the penurious Hi-Fi enthusiast who has many other expenses they must pay for each month. I guess the bottom line here is that you really can't judge a book by its cover. The Bravo's inexpensive appearance may have put off many would be customers who believed that it was just too cheap looking to justify its retail price of $249. They evidently felt that for this much money the Bravos should have been finished with better quality materials, such as the dynamic driver based Meze 99 Neo - which retails for about the same price, and is an excellent offering for the money. Sharkk must have decided to spend more money on the Bravo's drivers and other internals rather than focusing on its exterior. And unfortunately, that is what appears to have sealed the Bravo's fate. It's not that the Sharkk is unattractive per se. It just looks a little cheap to justify its $249 asking price. Of course the most important aspect of the Bravo is does it live up to its billing? Does it sound like an electrostatic headphone? In this Hi-Fi enthusiast's mind, the Bravo does accomplish some of what its creators intended for it to do, since it has a very nice midrange that does in some ways emulate that of a far more expensive electrostatic headphone like the Stax. I think that what I like most about the Bravo is that like the more extravagant electrostatic headphones it attempts to emulate, it is fairly unforgiving of bad sources. And this means that it's doing a very good job of letting you hear what is really going on with your source, rather than covering up for bad source material like many other headphones in this price range do. In fact, the Bravo is fairly ruthless with a poor source, while it shines with an excellent one; especially when being fed by a good quality headphone amplifier. Speaking of which, I have been using the Bravo with a wonderful little headphone amplifier whose performance continues to amaze me. The fact that this little gem (the *Schiit Magni 3) only costs $99 makes it all the more special. *Google the MasterSwitch article on the Magni 3 to learn more about this great little headphone amp. Moreover, the Bravo/Magni 3 pairing is really quite good for a total outlay of about $140. In fact it'll be difficult to find anything at two to threeRead full review
Verified purchase: No
Every aspect about these headphones are exquisite and REAL. Best of all the quality of reproduction at a very, very reasonable price point. I do not feel that I could of done better than these. Thanks again!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Absolutely brilliant I've purchased two pairs as one was a gift for my son and also have friends who have tried them and they are going to order a pair for themselves, apart from the waiting period they are well worth it, very pleased at a quarter of the price here in the UK🎧 marc Robinson
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
These are superb... Many novice folks simply do NOT understand these... This is my 3rd pair. They sound best with a headphone amp... I have both Solid State and Tube... For the price... JUST GET THEM !!! ( don't be expecting BEATS... These are exactly as they were meant to be...HYBRIDS... Love 'em !
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
This headphone is audiophile grade for MP3 use and excellent for portable devices. Doesn't work well with headphone tube amps or for home audio use. It has a very clean and detailed response on portable devices especially MP3
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New