Warwick Acoustics Bravura Headphone System

A personal audio rig that looks, feels, and sounds special

Some headphones are known for certain strengths and sonic characteristics. But in terms of the overall listening experience, the Warwick Acoustic Bravura headphone system is one of the best I've ever heard. This complete, closed system includes the super-premium Bravura electrostatic 'phones and the dedicated Sonoma M1 amplifier/energizer needed to properly power them. The M1 features a built-in digital-to-analog converter that's optimized for this system, along with custom-made cables.

I was fortunate enough to spend about six weeks with this electrostat system, sitting right next to my home office. I auditioned plenty of other headphones during that stint, but my eye wandered often to this gorgeous combo of gear. And many times, I had to give into the temptation of those glittering, tinted magnesium earcups.     

Detailed, revealing sound from an all-in-one system

It's called a "closed" system because the Warwick's Sonoma M1 amp/energizer/DAC and Bravura headphones are both intended for each other — and neither will work with headphones or amps from other companies. As you'd probably expect, these aren't the type of headphones you use on the go with your phone. Instead, this is designed for people who are downsizing from an ultra-high-end speaker-and-amp system or perhaps want something comparable for another room or for late-night listening. 

Warwick keeps the power clean and consistent

Electrostatic headphones require consistent power, which is why you need the special Sonoma M1 amplifier (sometimes called an "energizer") included here. This machined-aluminum workhorse is compact enough to fit in most desktop setups and serves up just the right amount of power — and restraint — for the Bravura headphones to excel. It's the exact same amp the company included with their renowned original Sonoma M1 electrostatic system. 

Trickle-down headphone technology

While the amp has stayed the same, the headphones have received some notable improvements. Since designing that original system, Warwick developed their cost-no-object APERIO electrostatic system, which retails for more than $30,000. When designing the Bravura headphones, they took some of what they learned from creating that super-luxury system to further play to the amp's strengths. 

How do electrostatic drivers work?

In most electrostatic headphones, you have electrically charged diaphragms suspended between two metal stators. Warwick has developed a new type of electrostatic driver that only uses one metal stator per earcup, but the idea is the same. The diaphragms receive a fixed, high voltage, while each stator receives a varying audio signal to move the diaphragm back and forth.

Driver improvements for lower distortion and stronger bass

For the Bravura headphones, Warwick has further refined their well-received High-Precision Electrostatic Laminate (HPEL) transducers. These hand-assembled drivers use a single stator design, which cuts down on weight and removes the metal obstruction on the side closest to your ear. That means you get purer and more direct sound — helping place you in the middle of the music.    

Warwick has clearly addressed some of the feedback they received on their original headphones. I tried that original system, and really loved it — but did find the bass more "polite" than I usually prefer. Here, Warwick has tweaked the stator design and used higher-grade materials for bass that's deeper, yet that stays realistic and won't distort at higher volumes. 

Snug, well-padded fit

Another area of improvement for the Bravura headphones is comfort. Electrostatic headphone drivers must be positioned next to your ears in a certain way to sound their best — similar to how crucial it is to be in the "sweet spot" for electrostatic speakers. So Warwick designs their headphones to fit securely and stay put, maintaining proper alignment with your ears.

While the previous generation Sonoma M1 'phones clamped a little too much for some people's liking, the Bravura sports a slightly more flexible yet sturdy headband. The earcups have better grip thanks to the Cabretta leather ear pads — a soft material often used to make professional golf gloves. It's a snug fit, but I didn't feel excessive pressure and could enjoy the headphones for entire work shifts.   

Several ways to connect

The Sonoma M1 connected directly to my laptop via the included USB cable. From there, I could stream lossless high-res tracks via Qobuz. There is also a coaxial digital input, along with unbalanced RCA analog inputs and a 3.5mm miniplug on the back panel.

Makes all your digital music sound better

Two ESS Sabre DAC chips run in dual-mono mode to squeeze out lots of musical detail from digital audio sources — including Spotify®, Apple Music®,  and YouTube. The DACs will decode high-resolution PCM-based music files up to 32-bit/384Hz resolution, and DSD files up to 11.2 MHz.

Warwick also applies 64-bit digital signal processing (DSP) to achieve their desired tuning. Again, it's all about optimizing everything for the strengths of the amp and headphone drivers. In this case, the desired frequency response closely matches a pair of "flat" loudspeakers in a room.