I purchased this shaver for my husband. His review follows. The Braun 3040s is a competent shaver and gets the job done. However, it is inferior to nearly 30-yr old Braun technology, i.e., the Braun system 1-2-3 cl3525 shaver, also designated as 5567U, which I purchased in 1995. (Braun’s use of multiple product numbers and designations is very confusing!) I recently purchased the 3040 since my 5567 will not last forever. I’ve had the 5567 repaired a number of times over the years: new batteries, multiple repairs of the pop-up trimmer, replacement of a cracked gasket, and even a new case since the rubber nibs had worn off. Unfortunately, the locally owned shaver repair shop that serviced it over the years has now gone out of business. Through it all, the 5567 has been an excellent shaver, small, lightweight, reasonably quick, fairly quiet, cleanly shaves my beard in the areas on my face where the hairs lay flat against my skin (i.e., use of the pop-up trimmer), and the battery keeps its charge for at least a week’s worth of shaves. I routinely charge it weekly, when I also scrupulously clean it with a brush, compressed air, and then lubricate it. I purchased the new Braun 3040s because of my history with Braun, my preference for foil shavers, and since their shavers get good ratings. Also, I needed a new shaver since, as I said, mine is not going to last forever. I selected the 3040s since I didn’t need all the bells and whistles of the more expensive Brauns, and with respect to the pivoting shaver head on the more expensive models, I can see no value in it. As a customer with an engineering background the pivoting shaver head looks like it ups the cost and complexity of the shaver and does little or nothing to improve the shave. It seems to me that a good shave is all about the foil and conforming to my face. The swivel head seems like a problem and would potentially limit the force and control I have with a fixed head; in fact, one reviewer on Amazon said as much. Another feature I don’t like on the current Brauns, except for the M90 (see below), is that they now have a double foil with a blade arrangement between. Again, I fail to see the value and prefer the simple single foil arrangement in my old 5567. The new 3040 is disappointing. It is larger and heavier, the head is too big to easily fit between my mustache and nose, it runs at a higher speed and so is buzzier and more annoying, and the positioning and location of the pop-up trimmer on the shaver makes it work less well that the one on the 5567. Apparently, there is a version that comes with a locking foil-retraction feature for one of the foils, that would make it easier to position under my nose, but according to Braun that is not available in the U.S. It also takes me longer to shave with the 3040 than with my older 5567, and even though the battery is newer technology I barely get a week out of a full charge, less than I get with my 5567. Perhaps that is because the shaves take longer. On the plus side, even though larger, it feels good in the hand. Another disadvantage of the 3040 due to its buzzier/louder noise level than the 5567, is that the motor/foil noise masks the sound of my whiskers being cut, a decided disadvantage. With the 5567 I can clearly hear the difference between the foil cutting beard, vs. cutting on shaved skin. It makes it easy, without always having to run my fingers over my beard, to know when an area has been cut adequately clean. It is amazing to me that 30 years of shaver research has seemingly been unable to produce a razor that works any better than 1990s technology, and in fact in some ways is inferior. I wish Braun would tell the product guys to bring back the simple 5567 with the only needed improvement being a more durable mechanism for the pop-up trimmer. That would be fabulous. It is a pity to see "advancements" that in fact, are no advancements at all in terms of performance. Perhaps Braun’s one shaver “advancement” has been reducing costs. I paid $60 for the 3040 on Amazon, which is exactly what I paid for the 5567 back in 1995. But the inflation-adjusted price of the 5567 would be about $114 in 2022. So, Braun has succeeded in keeping costs down. However, I would rather pay more and get the quality product, or at least have that as an option. As a side note, I did also purchase a Braun M90 just to give it a try, since it is a single-foil design like the 5567. It is less expensive than the 3040, but unfortunately does not have a rechargeable battery. It is nice and small and I do prefer it to the 3040, but I have not used it extensively. It is, however, still not as good as the venerable 5567. To qualify the beard that is being used to assess the shavers, see the attached photos. I have to shave daily, not because my growth is that thick, but because many of my hairs grow parallel to my skin’s surface and I am prone to in-grown hairs if I do tend to them on a daily basis.
