The below review was completed by Hi-Fi Voice Magazin, Czech Republic.

The original review article which completed in Czech can be found here.

Below is a translated version in English.

Intro.

The Warwick Acoustics brand – named simply after the county of Warwickshire in the West Midlands (central United Kingdom, right next to Birmingham) – is a typical specialist in headphone listening. They actually only offer two models – the "smaller" Bravura and the "larger" Aperio, plus the Sonoma M1 headphone amplifier. When you combine the Bravura with that amplifier, you get the recommended system.

Warwick Acoustics BRAVURA

The name "Bravura" comes from Italian and means "skill" in a positive sense, but the word is also used in Czech. The headphones are robust, beautifully crafted, yet lightweight and comfortable.

The basic axis is formed by a freely curved arch with padding that is not too thick yet comfortable, which distributes the weight well across the top of the head. The ear cups are oval, quite deep, made of aluminum, and magnesium on the ear cups, for example.

Of course, except for the ear pads, which are made of sheepskin and not only fit well but are also comfortable, even after prolonged wear.

The outer side is covered with a corrugated grid, while the inside is protected by a "checkered" grid. Between them is an HPEL membrane, reminiscent of honeycombs. HPEL stands for High-Precision Electrostatic Laminate. The laminated polypropylene film, which is 15 microns thick (thinner than a hair) and weighs 0.2 grams, is divided into segments across its total area of 3570 mm2, allowing them to move more precisely than large-area membranes of a similar type.

The headphones are connected to the amplifier via a cable from Straight Wire, with the aim of achieving the lowest possible capacitance – only 50 mF per meter. The material is silver-plated oxygen-free copper, encased in polyethylene foam. The strength and durability of the conductors is enhanced by Kevlar fiber wrapping. The cable then physically separates the grounding for the left and right channels, although they meet in a single connector on the amplifier side.

Interestingly, Warwick Acoustics does not publish a single technical parameter. Frequency, weight, everything remains officially unsaid. However, you can find various sources around the world listing a frequency range of 10–60,000 Hz, a weight of 403 grams, a working bias of 1,350 volts, and a defined harmonic distortion of 0.1% / 1 kHz / 100 dB.

Warwick Acoustics Sonoma Model One

The Sonoma Model One amplifier (or Sonoma M1, if you prefer) is a logical partner. It has an elegant, very low chassis with rounded corners, plenty of ventilation holes at the top, and a dominant volume control knob at the front. On its right side is a headphone output, on the left a lever that switches between digital and analog inputs – however, the amplifier "senses" which one is currently in use.

In addition to the power switch and power socket, the rear panel offers USB and coaxial connections from the digital world and a pair of RCA connectors plus a 3.5 mm input on the analog side. You can switch between analog and coaxial using another switch; as already mentioned, the amplifier will "sense" which one you are using and switch to it.

As for the internal design, it relies on complete digital technology. This means that the analog inputs are first digitized via an AKM A/D converter at a resolution of 32-bit/384 kHz. Of course, this does not apply to digital inputs. The signal then goes to the DSP for processing at 64-bit depth. The goal is to obtain a signal at the output that corresponds to the needs of the headphones and is compensated for their capabilities and characteristics.

This is followed by classic D/A conversion, this time using a 32-bit chip from ESS, with one chip working on each channel in a mono configuration. The amplifier supports 32-bit/384 kHz resolution for PCM or DSD128.

The amplifier section provides the high voltage necessary for electrostatic speakers. This flows from FETs operating in pure class A. These circuits are located in a separate milled chamber within the aluminum body for maximum shielding.

Once again, you won't find out much about the parameters. You can find out the THD+N value below 0.05% and then just the physical dimensions – width 19 cm, depth 29 cm, and height 5.7 cm, weighing 2.45 kg.

We primarily listened to the headphones via the USB interface, although we also tried RCA from the Métronome DSC. But it seems that you can stick with the digital signal without any problems.

From the very first notes of Massive Attack's bass-heavy "Teardrop" ("Mezzanine" | 1998 | Circa | 00724384559953), it was clear that the Bravura / Sonoma Model One offers superbly fast sound. The articulation is simply excellent, and although it is not entirely massive – let's say that top-of-the-line dynamic headphones give you a greater sense of body – it offers fantastic strength and specificity. What's more, every tone is superbly refined; you can hear every nuance, every shade and every vibration is right there in front of you. Thanks to this agility, the tones are also tightly stretched, vigorous, truly rock-solid.

Petra Bjørkhaug's "Mariavise" performed by the Nidaros domkor choir ("MOR" | 2024 | 2L | 2L-176-SABD) sounded completely unobtrusive, or rather so refined and pure, absolutely free of distortion or any artifacts of its own character, that you forget you have headphones on your head. The perfectly detailed and organized reproduction would stand up even in the field of high-end studio monitoring, without bearing any trace of the dryness that is often characteristic of the "professional" field. Clarity is absolutely effortless; the headphone set is so civil, so transparent, and so amazingly clean that it actually tempts you to turn up the volume, because you never feel anything that irritates your ears.

Ray LaMontagne's "Hey, No Pressure" ("Ouroboros" | 2016 | SONY | 886445381665) has its own punch and, on many systems, an almost caustic edge, but when played on the Bravura / Sonoma Model One, it sounds direct, crisp, and lively in the high frequencies, without being aggressive. Even here, regardless of the volume, you don't perceive anything tiring, even though the metallic tones have a really healthy sharpness and penetrating power. However, this only reflects the recording itself. What's more, the amount of information that the headphones convey is truly impressive. They are like a microscope, perfectly arranging the finest available nuances into an absolutely confident whole. And here, too, there is a general civility, no emphasis, no coloration, just total transparency.

Overall, the Bravura / Sonoma Model One really behave like top-of-the-line electrostatic headphones, i.e., they have brilliant speed, emphasis, swing, and explosiveness, with a little less density and volume, yet the instruments in Jiro Inagaki's Japanese jazz classic from the 1970s, "Breeze," and the band Soul Media ( "WaJazz: Japanese Jazz Spectacle Vol. 1" | 2022 | Nippon Columbia | 180GHMVLP01) have a fullness that is above average for this type of headphones, yet does not dampen the positive characteristics of electrostatic headphones mentioned above. For example, the opening beat of the sticks sounds as if someone were trying it out directly in your ear canal, the energy is immediately available, the transients literally explode, and the headphone system obediently follows even the most demanding moments in the recording. And that's at any volume.

The music of Hungarian-Jewish composer György Ligeti, born in Romania and active for many years in Austria, is an original modern variation on the classical "String Quartet No. 1 – Métamorphoses nocturnes" performed by Quatuor Diotima ("Metamorphosis Ligeti" | 2023 | Pentatone | 5187061) is also a beautiful recording. Bravura / Sonoma Model One delivers it with the intimacy and specificity of top-of-the-line in-ear monitors, the energy of large dynamic headphones, and the resolution that only the highest-quality electrostatic headphones can offer. Without being flashy or pushy, it really has everything, penetrating to the deepest layers of the recording and revealing every nuance, shade, and layer. It's super fast, super open, and super transparent sound, thanks to which only the recording itself remains, without being influenced by the character of the reproduction chain – or so it seems. At the same time, there is never a feeling of harshness or superiority of technology; you hear only what is contained in the music, and it's great.

Although the Warwick Bravura headphones are open-back, the musical scene in "Faith" (Alf Carlsson & Jiří Kotača Quartet | "Our Stories" | 2024 | Animal Music | ANI123-2) was concentrated between them, in the head, rather than outside, as is sometimes the case with great open-back designs. On the other hand, its plasticity was truly excellent, probably due to its overall top-notch precision, where everything has its place and time. The organization of the sound is perfect, nothing overlaps, it has order, boundaries, luxurious concreteness, and clarity.

Bravura / Sonoma Model One is actually a refined and tolerant system for ordinary recordings, but it easily reveals the excellence of the best ones. Such as the positive atmosphere radiating from Jóhan Jóhannsson's "Cambridge 1963" (Mari Samuelsen | "LIFE" | 2024 | Deutsche Grammophon | 00028948657735). The setup allows the musical atmosphere to develop freely, does not draw attention to anything in particular, but puts you, so to speak, at the center of the action, allowing you to perceive the music itself and opening the way for you to absorb it. There is control, there is energy, there is detail, explosiveness and authenticity. It is so good that all that remains is the gentle playing of the violins, the humanity of the content and the natural, organic interaction.

The combination of Bravura electrostatic headphones with the Sonoma Model One amplifier + signal source is definitely one of the best headphone solutions in the world.

Some may want XLR connectors, others may want less pressure on the occipital bridge, and still others may want easier switching between sources, but when it comes to sound, it's hard to find anything to complain about. It is precise – so clean, fast, concrete, open, and clear, so undistorted and faithful that it is essentially non-existent. It's hard to wish for anything more from any point of view. The Bravura / Sonoma Model One is a combination for the most demanding listeners – you can listen to anything through it, and it shines even more the better the recording you're enjoying, but it won't disappoint even with ordinary ones. Sure, the price is extraordinary for headphones, but so is the work of Warwick Acoustics, and all you can say is "wow"!