[prozonelayer]

Anyone notice the case of the APP2 draining more quickly than expected? I've used the APP2 for a total of 3 hours since I got them 5 days ago and my case went from fully charged to 39% today. I feel like this is a result of them constantly relaying the battery level to my iPhone, but I'm not totally sure.

 

[krenzler]

 

[angelom]

APP 2 vs Bose QC Earbuds II (qcii)

In one sentence: I will keeping the APP 2 independently of the fact I'm in Apple ecosystem.

The qceii taking 35 minutes updating the firmware, 33 minutes for download and 2 minutes for installation, and I have very fast internet connection. The case is more big than APP 2 (little less pocketable), with less good quality of construction, and isn't possible wireless charging that I use always with my iPhone and other AirPods.

About the sound. The bass in the qcii is too much and I now I understand why everybody in youtube saying the Bose is sounding better, because is V-shaped, with more emphasis in bass AND treble. Is very common in youtube reviewers that people loving big bass in their opinions. Is nice having the EQ for changing the sound, yes, and is working ok for reducing bass, but for me the factory sound is very important, and the APP 2 is clearly having better, more correct Hi-Fi sound, with bass that is giving sufficient satisfaction (more than I remember the bass in APP 1).

ANC is better in qcii, but only little better. I think many reviewers in youtube exaggerating a little this aspect of the qcii because maybe they testing with sound on and with the extra bass of qcii the ANC is looking more better than is really. I repeat, the ANC is better, yes, in the Bose, but only very little. I testing WITHOUT music with 1) loud fan in maximum fourth setting, playing video with speakers of 2) loud cafe, 3) airplane cabin noise and 4) construction work (because construction today near my home isn't very loud like last days). The APP 2's ANC is very impressing me, the qcii only a little more.

Transparency I'm expecting better with APP 2 because everybody saying this in youtube. The reality is that is very similar. I think the reviewers are wanting appearing more objective saying APP 2 is definitely better. In my quick tests they're very similar, very good.

Problems for me with qcii:

You only have option of aware mode or ANC, and not off mode. With APP 2 you having 3 modes: off, transparency and ANC. I think that when APP 2 is off you having more battery life (I think I see in some place is maybe 8 hours in mid volume).

Now, for more big problems, the touch controls in qcii aren't exact/very good for me. Sometimes you tapping 2 times for next track and is going to the start of track or to previous track (this is 3 taps in theory). And then sometimes you only touching the earpieces for better positioning/fit or changing modes, and you accidentally hitting play or pause when isn't your intention. The tapping in my H95 (900 euros ANC headphone) is very much better and quiet.

Volume up and down is working well, but all the touch actions in the qcii are becoming loud and disturbing the music, podcast or video sounds because of the transmission of sound of this actions, specially when tapping, this is with music or without music playing. I'm someone that is constantly changing volume and tracks and this is making me crazy every time I'm touching the surface for tapping or sliding surface for volume. Is very, very unacceptably loud.

In the last aspects the APP 2 is very superior.

I'm returning the Bose qc earbuds ii. I don't have absolutely any doubts about this.

 

[SilverEars]

I'd like to see some comparison to the new Bose. ANC is excellent. It's very quiet, even the high frequencies. It might be the highest ANC performance I've ever encountered in an IEM.

 

[chesebert]

Anyone notice the case of the APP2 draining more quickly than expected? I've used the APP2 for a total of 3 hours since I got them 5 days ago and my case went from fully charged to 39% today. I feel like this is a result of them constantly relaying the battery level to my iPhone, but I'm not totally sure.

Not on my unit. The battery seems to last a long time, although I have not left them not charged for this long.

 

[ubs28]

This is interesting. Soundwise, I like the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 better. The fit is also more secure because it has fins that you can attach.

But the APP 2 has better software (3D audio, switching between different devices and much better transparency mode).

Guess there is no clear winner between the two as they both have strenght and weaknesses in different area’s.

 

[Soundizer]

This is interesting. Soundwise, I like the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 better. The fit is also more secure because it has fins that you can attach.

But the APP 2 has better software (3D audio, switching between different devices and much better transparency mode).

Guess there is no clear winner between the two as they both have strenght and weaknesses in different area’s.

What’s the Base like on MM3 vs APP2?

 

[ubs28]

What’s the Base like on MM3 vs APP2?

The bass on the MM3 is stronger, sounds more fun. Best to describe the difference in sound is, the MM3 sounds more “full” while the APP2 sounds more “thin”. But the APP2 is a big improvement over the APP1.

 

[angelom]

Review of APP 2 from audiophile (this person isn't Apple fanboy and in my opinion is giving usually very fair opinions of many products):

 

[mainguy]

Got my APP2 today and spent 3 hours listening, after starting the day with APP1, my most listened to earbuds.

Sound is better. It's undeniable. Bass is more full, mids are more present, they sound 'warmer' and filled in. ANC is better, but cabin pressure is heightened. Fit, interestingly, is better. L size is slightly larger and mine no longer drift out of my ear when running/cycling, which is a big win for me.

Does the sound rival wired earbuds? No way. Switching to my Xelento the difference is humongous, resolution, imaging, staging, timbre, everything gets a lot better. These are still bluetooth convenience buds and there is no point pretending they're winning awards for sound. Lots of hyperbole about them around abouts, so I did test them thoroughly against my Xelento for amusement and..Yeah, no.

Vs Airpods Max, I think APP2 have better tonal balance. They have richer mids, where APM has gaps in the midrange, making it sound hollow. APM still sounds better overall due to better technicalities.

 

[angelom]

Does the sound [of APP 2] rival wired earbuds? No way. Switching to my Xelento the difference is humongous, resolution, imaging, staging, timbre, everything gets a lot better. These are still bluetooth convenience buds and there is no point pretending they're winning awards for sound. Lots of hyperbole about them around abouts, so I did test them thoroughly against my Xelento for amusement and..Yeah, no.

Vs Airpods Max, I think APP2 have better tonal balance. They have richer mids, where APM has gaps in the midrange, making it sound hollow. APM still sounds better overall due to better technicalities.

The APP 2 NOT sounding better than wired earbuds??! This is your opinion and this really is depending in what earbuds, obviously, expensive or NOT, you're comparing. A big generalisation like your comment is wrong, I'm sorry saying this.

Saying that bluetooth, by this nature, is more bad than wired earphones OR headphones is a complete fallacy, specially in last few years. And this is typical comment of many people that repeating what others (apparent audiophiles) are saying for many years. Bluetooth earphones and headphones are equal in sound, and often better (in tonal balance) than many wired earphones and headphones, for the human ear. This fallacy is very similar with opinions about better codecs (like LDAC), very high bitrates, lossy vs lossless. In blind tests you can finding proof, and this is not only opinion.

"APM is better because of the technicalities". What technicalities exactly?? Please look in my signature for the earphones and headphones I having in my possesion. And I owning several high-end high resolution DAPs before but my (good) ears saying me for long time that a lot of opinions are very exaggeration and "hyperbole" with this products and I selling them, and this is similar with other aspects I saying above.

Is OK if you or others people not liking the sound of the APP 2 at all or very much, probably they have other preferences (more OR less bass, more OR less mids, more OR less treble or combination of this frequencies). But generalisations about wired vs bluetooth (or lossy vs lossless), and very difficult proving/measurable AND really audible for human ears aspects like "resolution, imaging, staging, timbre", well,....I think I saying enough.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Got my APP2 today and spent 3 hours listening, after starting the day with APP1, my most listened to earbuds.

Sound is better. It's undeniable. Bass is more full, mids are more present, they sound 'warmer' and filled in. ANC is better, but cabin pressure is heightened. Fit, interestingly, is better. L size is slightly larger and mine no longer drift out of my ear when running/cycling, which is a big win for me.

Does the sound rival wired earbuds? No way. Switching to my Xelento the difference is humongous, resolution, imaging, staging, timbre, everything gets a lot better. These are still bluetooth convenience buds and there is no point pretending they're winning awards for sound. Lots of hyperbole about them around abouts, so I did test them thoroughly against my Xelento for amusement and..Yeah, no.

Vs Airpods Max, I think APP2 have better tonal balance. They have richer mids, where APM has gaps in the midrange, making it sound hollow. APM still sounds better overall due to better technicalities.

Same general impressions. They’re clearly superior to the first generation. I agree that the fit is better. I’m getting a solid seal with the L tips. I can even get them to pass the seal test in settings. They’ve gotten better with wear.

I think someone else already mentioned it but it seems like the sound is better on the 2’s with ANC turned off. With it on there’s a too much of that compressed sound coloration. It makes the whole soundstage seem thinner to me.

And on ANC, while it’s absolutely better on the 2, they still offer less isolation than just about all of my wired IEMS. Deeper insertion mechanically blocks a lot more than the ANC on AirPods Pro can.

Good write up. I would say that these need some run in time. Mine sound smoother after 50 or so hours, some of which is attributable to the tips softening up some.

 

[Surf Monkey]

The APP 2 NOT sounding better than wired earbuds??! This is your opinion and this really is depending in what earbuds, obviously, expensive or NOT, you're comparing. A big generalisation like your comment is wrong, I'm sorry saying this.

Saying that bluetooth, by this nature, is more bad than wired earphones OR headphones is a complete fallacy, specially in last few years. And this is typical comment of many people that repeating what others (apparent audiophiles) are saying for many years. Bluetooth earphones and headphones are equal in sound, and often better (in tonal balance) than many wired earphones and headphones, for the human ear. This fallacy is very similar with opinions about better codecs (like LDAC), very high bitrates, lossy vs lossless. In blind tests you can finding proof, and this is not only opinion.

"APM is better because of the technicalities". What technicalities exactly?? Please look in my signature for the earphones and headphones I having in my possesion. And I owning several high-end high resolution DAPs before but my (good) ears saying me for long time that a lot of opinions are very exaggeration and "hyperbole" with this products and I selling them, and this is similar with other aspects I saying above.

Is OK if you or others people not liking the sound of the APP 2 at all or very much, probably they have other preferences (more OR less bass, more OR less mids, more OR less treble or combination of this frequencies). But generalisations about wired vs bluetooth (or lossy vs lossless), and very difficult proving/measurable AND really audible for human ears aspects like "resolution, imaging, staging, timbre", well,....I think I saying enough.

I have and have heard a ton of wired IEMS. I agree that the APP2 is beaten by pretty much all of them. They sound great, but wired is still better IMO.

 

[MayaTlab]

I think someone else already mentioned it but it seems like the sound is better on the 2’s with ANC turned off. With it on there’s a too much of that compressed sound coloration. It makes the whole soundstage seem thinner to me.

Are you basing these impressions on quickly switching between ANC off and on ?

If so would you mind trying a little test ?
Continuously play pink noise through the APP2. Switch between ANC off and on rather rapidly. Do you occasionally notice that at some frequencies the channel balance may shift a bit - particularly when going from ANC off to on ?
If you switch more slowly, particularly when moving from ANC off to on, and let the earbuds play pink noise for 10-20 seconds, do you notice that after a few seconds the sound changes a little bit ?

It used to be the case that the H1 Airpods with a feedback mechanism were the hardest to effectively test when ANC is turned off (or in the case of the AP3 at all time obviously), but I suspect that with the APP2 there may be some complications when ANC is turned on, particularly in the 1-4kHz band (where unlike their predecessors they may be trying to more aggressively actively reduce noise).

 

[chesebert]

The APP 2 NOT sounding better than wired earbuds??! This is your opinion and this really is depending in what earbuds, obviously, expensive or NOT, you're comparing. A big generalisation like your comment is wrong, I'm sorry saying this.

Saying that bluetooth, by this nature, is more bad than wired earphones OR headphones is a complete fallacy, specially in last few years. And this is typical comment of many people that repeating what others (apparent audiophiles) are saying for many years. Bluetooth earphones and headphones are equal in sound, and often better (in tonal balance) than many wired earphones and headphones, for the human ear. This fallacy is very similar with opinions about better codecs (like LDAC), very high bitrates, lossy vs lossless. In blind tests you can finding proof, and this is not only opinion.

"APM is better because of the technicalities". What technicalities exactly?? Please look in my signature for the earphones and headphones I having in my possesion. And I owning several high-end high resolution DAPs before but my (good) ears saying me for long time that a lot of opinions are very exaggeration and "hyperbole" with this products and I selling them, and this is similar with other aspects I saying above.

Is OK if you or others people not liking the sound of the APP 2 at all or very much, probably they have other preferences (more OR less bass, more OR less mids, more OR less treble or combination of this frequencies). But generalisations about wired vs bluetooth (or lossy vs lossless), and very difficult proving/measurable AND really audible for human ears aspects like "resolution, imaging, staging, timbre", well,....I think I saying enough.

I wouldn’t worry about those comments. the person you responded to likes beyer iem. If you know anything about beyer, it’s that they are extremely colored. Some love the “beyer sound” some hate it, I personally hate it so there is that frame of reference. APP2 sounds fantastic to me (I already articulated its shortcomings in an easier post) with my personal HRTF enabled (without head tracking) and using Apple Music. HRTF changed timbre, upper midrange and soundstage for me for the better. Also running app2 off of MBP 2021 sounded better to me than iPhone and turn off ANC for less sound artifact.