[rlw6534]

As if the case cases weren't sufficiently absurd, people are even putting cases on the earbuds themselves. Apple users are out of their minds. lol

I tried the sleeves mostly because the darn things wouldn't stay in my ears without simply falling out. Thankfully the Pro version solved that issue for me.

 

[angelom]

Can you explain what you mean by "health of your ears" with respect to IEM insertion depth? Completely agree about shallow depth being more comfortable, but I'm not aware of there actually being a health implication.

Basically is meaning that your ears are needing air going inside your ears ('breathing'). Using IEMs (not same as canal phones like AP1, AP2 or AP3) that needing blocking the ear canals is bad for your ears, specially when using for a long time. Is more common ear infections in this cases. Maybe some people saying "I using IEMs for 8 hours and no problem" and they're lucky, but others people aren't so lucky.

If not cleaned regularly, earbuds can easily introduce bacteria to the ears when placed directly in the ear canal.
Earbuds also block the air passage in the ear, which allows bacteria to further thrive. Together, these factors risk bacterial transfer to more sensitive parts of the ears.
Additionally, when shared, earbuds facilitate the transfer of bacteria from one person to another. This increases the risk for more serious ear infections.

 

[Mouseman]

Anyone tried this? To compare

I've enjoyed earpods ($20 wired) with the tips and really like them. Anybody know gen2 vs new pro, pro gen 2

I not super happy with wireless in general (use galaxy bud + ), and earpod is miles better (w/ foam tips)

To clarify, I am wondering if the newest can beat earpods (the cheapest) with foam tips.

I had something similar for my APP1s, and I didn't care for them - they shifted around a lot on the body and kept blocking the holes. The pic you posted also says you can't charge with them. That would be a deal-breaker for me.

 

[SHAMuuu]

That's an interesting solution to get some low-end. Looks to be questionable stability however.

Yes the stability is not perfect as it stretches out over time. So you might have to readjust here and there. Also you need to do the pulling ear and open jaw thing to get them in there. They are not memory foam but a non memory and more porous foam.

I had these on my original AirPods briefly. They really added way, way too much bass with the tighter seal. I guess the non-pro APs are tuned more like an earbud, which makes sense with the loose fit.

They add a lot of body and it's not detailed like a top tier anything. I mean earpods is $20 LOL

But rumour is it uses some fibre diaphragm. Someone said biocellulose and by Foster, but ... I cannot say 100%

The mids are natural so I like them with foam tips. Not so much without.

I tried the sleeves mostly because the darn things wouldn't stay in my ears without simply falling out. Thankfully the Pro version solved that issue for me.

Yeah these things are quirky as hell. But for me once I get them on I can have them in for hours. I sleep with them on. They don't have that same iem feeling (closed in) like with other comply tips.

Eg I'm not an iem guy, but i like these more than previous re600, philips s2, fiio ex1 for musicality/enjoyment (not technical)

I had something similar for my APP1s, and I didn't care for them - they shifted around a lot on the body and kept blocking the holes. The pic you posted also says you can't charge with them. That would be a deal-breaker for me.

Yeah one has to adjust them not to block holes. But once in properly they seem fine with right size tips. I get the large ones but again need to pull my ear and open jaw for proper insertion. Yikes, that sounds weird.



But not sure why I like them. I have timbre champs like 600 series Sennheiser to compare. These actually sound like my t5p with EQ'd bass bump, but less technical (obv)



I couldn't help but wonder if the new pro wireless could beat the measly cheaper 20 dollar version with foam tips.


As well, wireless would be nice. But have they caught up in SQ to even a $10 wired earbud is my question with the new chips and not sound like what wireless usually sound like with wonky treble and mids

 

[ryanmatic]

Basically is meaning that your ears are needing air going inside your ears ('breathing'). Using IEMs (not same as canal phones like AP1, AP2 or AP3) that needing blocking the ear canals is bad for your ears, specially when using for a long time. Is more common ear infections in this cases. Maybe some people saying "I using IEMs for 8 hours and no problem" and they're lucky, but others people aren't so lucky.

If not cleaned regularly, earbuds can easily introduce bacteria to the ears when placed directly in the ear canal.
Earbuds also block the air passage in the ear, which allows bacteria to further thrive. Together, these factors risk bacterial transfer to more sensitive parts of the ears.
Additionally, when shared, earbuds facilitate the transfer of bacteria from one person to another. This increases the risk for more serious ear infections.

Thanks. It sounds like you’re getting at both deep insertion (eg. Etymotics) and vented vs closed designs. Makes sense that sharing IEMs increases risk of infection (and is just plain gross ), as does keeping your ears sealed for very long periods of time.

Aside from comfort being the primary factor here, I’m not sure that the vented, shallow insertion of the APP are meaningfully different than most other IEMs. If they were, we’d probably see many posts about people getting ear infections from routinely using IEMs, or even from using earplugs.

 

[angelom]

Thanks. It sounds like you’re getting at both deep insertion (eg. Etymotics) and vented vs closed designs. Makes sense that sharing IEMs increases risk of infection (and is just plain gross ), as does keeping your ears sealed for very long periods of time.

Aside from comfort being the primary factor here, I’m not sure that the vented, shallow insertion of the APP are meaningfully different than most other IEMs. If they were, we’d probably see many posts about people getting ear infections from routinely using IEMs, or even from using earplugs.

The vented IEMs is for dynamic drivers specially for better control of bass but this IEMs design still not allowing sufficient air going in the ears in healthy way.

In reference with ear infections, many people having embarrassment speaking about this in public forum and is more possible having this infections when using IEMs for long hours. And if the person getting ear infection, he/she maybe isn’t thinking that the IEMs may be the problem.

The design of the APP 2 is different from standard IEMs because you have a lot more venting PLUS a shallow insertion.

 

[Surf Monkey]

The vented IEMs is for dynamic drivers specially for better control of bass but this IEMs design still not allowing sufficient air going in the ears in healthy way.

In reference with ear infections, many people having embarrassment speaking about this in public forum and is more possible having this infections when using IEMs for long hours. And if the person getting ear infection, he/she maybe isn’t thinking that the IEMs may be the problem.

The design of the APP 2 is different from standard IEMs because you have a lot more venting PLUS a shallow insertion.

… which in my opinion robs it of weight and causes the buds to he difficult to fit on many people’s ears. As I said before, I prefer a deeper insertion. The APP2 works fine, but it has inherent downside due to the approach to ear fit. I’m willing to risk potential infection for a solid seal and a deeper fit (and thus better sound.)

 

[SparkOnShore]

… which in my opinion robs it of weight and causes the buds to he difficult to fit on many people’s ears. As I said before, I prefer a deeper insertion. The APP2 works fine, but it has inherent downside due to the approach to ear fit. I’m willing to risk potential infection for a solid seal and a deeper fit (and thus better sound.)

APP2 fits much better than previous version. Silicon tips also are somehow different and more stable. With the new skin detection sensor it just needs to be close to the ear to activate ANC, so there is no need for 100% perfect seal. It is airy, absolutely comfortable and light as feather. The deep insertion of all old style iems that you have been advertising is the cause of ear fatigue and disturbance, which you may be able or willing to forget in order to keep on using your favourite wires, but others like me are not!

 

[stargazing]

At the risk of expressing an unpopular opinion here, but am I alone in finding the sound quality worse in the app2 than in the app1? It's a shame, the quality of the sub bass and separation is undoubtedly better in the app2, but the mids and low highs sound incredibly recessed to me, quite obviously veiled and generally muddy

 

[MayaTlab]

At the risk of expressing an unpopular opinion here, but am I alone in finding the sound quality worse in the app2 than in the app1? It's a shame, the quality of the sub bass and separation is undoubtedly better in the app2, but the mids and low highs sound incredibly recessed to me, quite obviously veiled and generally muddy

I am not entirely enthused by it as well compared to a (new and working well) pair of the APP1. To me it's rather a trade-off, both being fairly decent deviations from ideal.

 

[twiceboss]

planning to get one of these when it's available in my country. Any good comparison with top wired iems?

 

[normie610]

Just got these and the sound quality is excellent. It’s an improvement over Beats Fit Pro which is also very very good vs the 1st gen Airpods Pro.

The only thing that’s bugging me is that the head tracking feature can only be heard if I’m using a personalized spatial audio. If not, I can’t really hear the effect of head tracking. Maybe it’s there but not as pronounced as if I turn on the personalized spatial audio.

 

[orion1973]

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.

In regards to not being able to tell the difference between wired headphones and lossless vs lossy and Bluetooth, I find there is a dramatic difference. Yes I can pass those stupid ABX tests of MP3 vs lossless. Lossless is a lot better. I personally can’t tell the difference between high res and lossless nor can I tell the difference between cables, or some of the other stuff people claim to be able to hear. I’m old and deaf with horrible tinnitus and I can hear the difference between lossless and lossy (even that crappy AAC stuff Apple sells on ITunes) and Bluetooth vs wired. Lossless audio is the ONLY reason I choose to pay Apple for Apple Music. Don’t get me wrong, I love my AAP2’s they just don’t sound as good as my $20.00 wired Koss Sporta pros, but I’m not exactly buying them for just the audio quality (which is a lot better then the original APP’s). They are convenient, comfortable, compact, work great with my iPhone, don’t bleed sound where others can hear and have noise cancelling and adaptive transparency mode. I wear them out and about, but I don’t listen to them much at home. I really like them for these factors, but until Apple or someone else figures out how to send lossless wirelessly, no wireless headphones are ever going to compare sound wise to a halfway decent set of wired headphones or IEM’s. I grew up listing to vinyl and CD’s and I’m sorry, no lossy codec that strips away sounds based on some psychoacoustics model will ever compare to that.

 

[rlw6534]

In regards to not being able to tell the difference between wired headphones and lossless vs lossy and Bluetooth, I find there is a dramatic difference. Yes I can pass those stupid ABX tests of MP3 vs lossless. Lossless is a lot better. I personally can’t tell the difference between high res and lossless nor can I tell the difference between cables, or some of the other stuff people claim to be able to hear. I’m old and deaf with horrible tinnitus and I can hear the difference between lossless and lossy (even that crappy AAC stuff Apple sells on ITunes) and Bluetooth vs wired. Lossless audio is the ONLY reason I choose to pay Apple for Apple Music. Don’t get me wrong, I love my AAP2’s they just don’t sound as good as my $20.00 wired Koss Sporta pros, but I’m not exactly buying them for just the audio quality (which is a lot better then the original APP’s). They are convenient, comfortable, compact, work great with my iPhone, don’t bleed sound where others can hear and have noise cancelling and adaptive transparency mode. I wear them out and about, but I don’t listen to them much at home. I really like them for these factors, but until Apple or someone else figures out how to send lossless wirelessly, no wireless headphones are ever going to compare sound wise to a halfway decent set of wired headphones or IEM’s. I grew up listing to vinyl and CD’s and I’m sorry, no lossy codec that strips away sounds based on some psychoacoustics model will ever compare to that.

+1 for SC... and us old and deaf, tinnitus cursed listeners.

 

[SilverEars]

I personally only subscribe to Tidal music service due to bit-perfect streaming. I personally find bit-perfect streams to sound better, particularly, Tidal's (And this maybe due to the quality of the masterings in their library.). Bit-perfect means the stream data from the music server has not been modified by the receiving OS's (iOS, Android, Windows) mixer.

I find that FLAC to be sufficient (and should be the minimum bitrate) and just sound most proper probably due to most recordings being recorded in 16/44. I don't like upsampling or any of that sort that goes through any sort of conversion or mixing. I find that original sampling is best, which may not be 16/44.

This probably doesn't apply to TWS much due to none existence of loss-less codec being used.

Back on topic,

main thing I like about the new APP2 is the volume control, and in general, their overall presentation and design approach. The usage of the stem is very clever by Apple. I just don't like the tuning very much, particularly, mids and upper-mids differential being lower than I prefer. It makes the sound too warm and mids thick, which I dislike. I like clarity with good amount of bass that has some softness and doesn't mask the mids. I think the bass is quality, but overall tuning is not my flavor. I think the response can be improved to increase clarity in the sound.