[alsorkin]

Took advantage of the 6mo free Apple Music subscription. Watched some excellent music videos with the APP2's on my iPad Pro 2021 and found both video and sound were quite enjoyable.

 

[orion1973]

This was good advice. I normally use size small ear tips, but switched to the medium after reading this and i’m getting a better seal and better bass.

Yeah I think these tips run smaller than most. They need an extra large size I would think.

 

[Roybenz]

The previous app sound more open and not congested in bass like the new ones. Could always switch eq to night to make it a little cleaner. But I’m surprised that the new ones it’s distorted in bass.

 

[dcguy73]

The previous app sound more open and not congested in bass like the new ones. Could always switch eq to night to make it a little cleaner. But I’m surprised that the new ones it’s distorted in bass.

People keep saying the APP2 has distorted bass, but I haven't heard that. Could someone give me an example of a song with bass that audibly distorts?

so anyone know what these are like compared to the in ear Sony xm4 and STWM3

thanks

Compared to the STWM3 (after two days of listening to the APP2), soundstaging is better on the APP2 and music sounds more open and laid-back overall. The STWM3 sounds more crisp, has more controlled and defined bass, and music sounds more forward and exciting overall.

 

[chesebert]

People keep saying the APP2 is distorted in bass, but I haven't heard that. Could someone give me an example of a song with bass that audibly distorts?

Compared to the STWM3 (after two days of listening to the APP2), soundstaging is better on the APP2 and music sounds more open and laid-back overall. The STWM3 sounds more crisp, has more controlled and defined bass, and music sounds more exciting and focused overall.

I haven’t heard any distortion in bass either. Midrange sounds natural, treble is extended, slight grain in upper mid (hopefully will calm down with some burnin), reasonably adequate bass definition, some sub bass output (below average), timbre is generally correct, soundstage is excellent after I scanned my ears wand enabled positional audio. Overall very impressive. This is on 14pro and I scanned both my ears to enable spatial audio and spatial audio was enabled at all times - so YMMV.

 

[meridius]

People keep saying the APP2 has distorted bass, but I haven't heard that. Could someone give me an example of a song with bass that audibly distorts?

Compared to the STWM3 (after two days of listening to the APP2), soundstaging is better on the APP2 and music sounds more open and laid-back overall. The STWM3 sounds more crisp, has more controlled and defined bass, and music sounds more forward and exciting overall.

Cheers so which do you prefer. How’s the anc which is better. Thanks.

 

[mainguy]

I want mentioning something important about ANC.

Today is second day I testing the APP 2 with construction work outside (only 30 meters away!). Yesterday I'm changing quickly for comparisons but today I using ANC more and no comparisons with others ANC IEMs/headphones. The important thing is that when turning on ANC the sound is changing in the next few seconds (2-3) and sometimes is changing more after 6-7 seconds, and is always for better isolation. This is impressing me very much because I can see the computational aspect working.

Then I deciding doing my typical test with a speaker and youtube video of airplane noise and loud cafe sounds, and comparing with the excellent ANC Sony XM3 headphone. In both categories the APP 2 is clearly better.

Mine are on the way I'll chip in when they arrive. To me the PI7 on iPhone sounded worse than my Airpods pro, but on Aptx HD they sounded considerably better than the APP 1. It was a vast difference! I have no idea how B&W screwed up so bad with AAC and the earbuds, I think its actually a mistake in the development of the product. Aptx or Aptx HD sounds like a different earbud, and its about 40% louder too. Very odd.

 

[angelom]

I don’t hearing distortion in the bass either.

 

[Soundizer]

Did you try changing tips? The medium passed the fit test for me, but I changed to the large and they sealed better, and are more comfortable and the sound changed quite a bit on me, sound became way less thin. These things have adaptive EQ, and wants you to scan your ears with the camera. It’s trying to create a tailored sound so it’s doing weird stuff with its processing based on that scan and what its mics are picking up.

I will try, have not yet.

 

[Soundizer]

I want mentioning something important about ANC.

Today is second day I testing the APP 2 with construction work outside (only 30 meters away!). Yesterday I'm changing quickly for comparisons but today I using ANC more and no comparisons with others ANC IEMs/headphones. The important thing is that when turning on ANC the noise cancellation is changing in the next few seconds (2-3) and sometimes is changing more after 6-7 seconds if you position the earpieces little better, and is always for better isolation. This is impressing me very much because I can see the computational aspect working.

Then I deciding doing my typical test with a speaker and youtube video of airplane noise and loud cafe sounds, and comparing with the excellent ANC of the Sony XM3 headphone. In both categories the APP 2 is clearly better.

Speaking of different topic, I'm looking for opinions of differences between new Bose QC Earbuds 2 and APP2 and every video or article online saying the Bose having more bass than APP2 and that ANC is little better in Bose QC 2. If the bass is more strong in Bose QC 2, then the Bose isn't for me because for me the new APP 2 bass is just correct in the quantity. About the ANC that is better in QC 2, maybe this is true but after my experience (above) today, where the ANC is adapting with outside noise in 2-7 seconds, I don't know if the people comparing this 2 earphones waiting sufficient time for that opinion. But even is Bose is little better, the APP 2 is really very impressive.

For the person that saying that the APP 2 is sibilant comparing with APP 1, I'm 99,9% he isn't having correct fit / tips because from my memory of APP 1 the APP 2 is having more relaxing treble and more big bass, a more warm signature. I always using medium tips with other IEMs, but with the APP 2 I'm using large tips. The hearing test is saying medium is sometimes good and sometimes not good. With large the test is saying is always good and I can hearing the difference. People with IEMs experience (I having a lot) knowing very well that tips size and insertion are critical aspects.

And, by the way, the volume control in APP 2 is working excellent. I love the haptic and sound aspects of this. My seal is never breaking when I changing the volume.

Thank you. I will try other tips.

I have more difficulty increasing volume responsiveness, but volume swipe down works better. They loosen , so to get a more secure tip do I need to try larger or smaller then standard?

 

[Soundizer]

I spent 2 hours trying to scan my ears but it keeps failing and timing out. I have iPhone 12Pro Max.

I get message move 20-50cm. I already am that distance

 

[u2u2]

I spent 2 hours trying to scan my ears but it keeps failing and timing out. I have iPhone 12Pro Max.

I get message move 20-50cm. I already am that distance

You might need to have someone else hold and aim the phone for you. At six feet tall, with I think arms to match, I had difficulty doing this on my own. Needed to get further away! Similar size phone, a 13 Pro Max.

It will be worth your effort in the end. As an owner of the original AP and APP along with lots of solid performing IEMs and headphone kit I am blown away by the cost/performance ratio on the APP Gen 2. These are good, very good, and I say this with ears that don't fit well with the tip selection Apple offers so I can't squeeze all the goodness out. Hope to find some third party XL size tips...

 

[Soundizer]

You might need to have someone else hold and aim the phone for you. At six feet tall, with I think arms to match, I had difficulty doing this on my own. Needed to get further away! Similar size phone, a 13 Pro Max.

It will be worth your effort in the end. As an owner of the original AP and APP along with lots of solid performing IEMs and headphone kit I am blown away by the cost/performance ratio on the APP Gen 2. These are good, very good, and I say this with ears that don't fit well with the tip selection Apple offers so I can't squeeze all the goodness out. Hope to find some third party XL size tips...

I used the mirror and it worked easily.

I have tried smaller and largest tips. Sticking with largest for now.

Will give it a few days listening for break in.


I also have the amazing Airpod Max. Do I need to do a separate scan for them in addition?

 

[chesebert]

I used the mirror and it worked easily.

I have tried smaller and largest tips. Sticking with largest for now.

Will give it a few days listening for break in.


I also have the amazing Airpod Max. Do I need to do a separate scan for them in addition?

I don't know what you meant by using the mirror. The scan is using the depth camera and and it creates a 3D model of your ear - I don't think mirror is ideal. You might want to get someone to help with the scan - it was a pain to get it right for me as well. The results were well worth the efforts. Spatial on (fixed) and ANC off is the ideal config for me. I am listening to Apple Music on these on MacBook that also supports spatial audio (i.e., it says "spatialzied audio" under control panel and not the same as the "spatial audio" track under Apple Music) and sound quality is very much high end if you stick with no so demanding music.

 

[Soundizer]

I don't know what you meant by using the mirror. The scan is using the depth camera and and it creates a 3D model of your ear - I don't think mirror is ideal. You might want to get someone to help with the scan - it was a pain to get it right for me as well. The results were well worth the efforts. Spatial on (fixed) and ANC off is the ideal config for me. I am listening to Apple Music on these on MacBook that also supports spatial audio (i.e., it says "spatialzied audio" under control panel and not the same as the "spatial audio" track under Apple Music) and sound quality is very much high end if you stick with no so demanding music.

To clarify i could see myself in the mirror so aimed iPhone to ears more accurately. It worked well.

Are you indicating Apple Music spatial is better via Mac than iPhone?