Temple
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2006
- Posts
- 84
- Likes
- 13
Is there an actual release date for the Audio Technica besides fall. Would be nice to know the actual date of release.
Audio Technica ATH-CKR7TW vs Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless?
- Thread starter truelies
- Start date
They release today in Japan, not sure about the other territory.
If anyone tried Audio Tehnica, do they offer a similar function like "hear through" to be able to hear sounds around, not block external sounds?
truelies
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2005
- Posts
- 90
- Likes
- 15
Just preordered sennheiser true wireless, reviews came in from Japan. Audio technica is too bright, which I hated on hd700.
Temple
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2006
- Posts
- 84
- Likes
- 13
Has anyone seen any comparison of the Jabra 65T to the Ath-Ckr7tw? Trying to find a long battery life in ear that has great sound quality.
Edward Ng
100+ Head-Fier
Just got a pair of Sennheiser’s Momentum TW IEMs in, and they do not disappoint, but their sound definitely caters to a certain taste/crowd. Allow me to explain.
Up until now, I’ve been experimenting with a few options due to a huge upgrade from an iPhone SE to an iPhone XS, and thusly the loss of headphone jack. I have a higher-end source for when I’m doing critical listening, but for my hour-long commutes to and from work, I want something convenient, functional, easy to live with and yet still at least decent sounding. With my iPhone SE, I was using my old pair of Westone 4 IEMs (not the 4R with the replaceable cable, so the Bluetooth replacement cables are not an option for me). When I upgraded my phone, I initially decided not to spend so much, so I picked up a pair of 1More Triple Driver LTNG IEMs and paired them with the best Comply tips that fit, but I was pretty underwhelmed by the sound, and lightning connector was handy, but I found that it also was a minor nuisance as sometimes it would have a flakey connection if my phone is in my pocket. Next thing I ended up trying were Scosche’s lightning to 3.5mm adapter with in-line controls and also a Janvvoo Bluetooth wireless adapter that I found on Amazon. The Scosche cable ended up having similar connection issues in my pocket as the 1More cable, but sound was of course WAY better than the 1Mores. There was also a more critical issue where incoming phone calls would put the Scosche out of commission until I completely reset my phone. The Janvvoo adapter ended up being the best overall solution, as it suffered absolutely minimal loss in sound quality over the Scosche cable while functioning flawlessly and with the added benefit of being able to take calls seemlessly.
All that being said, at the end of the day, I decided that I wanted to go fully wireless, and decided to go with the Sennheiser Momentum TW as they seemed to hit all the bullet points on technical specifications and supported codecs etc, while also having an available tip option from Comply (a personal requirement as I am prefer absolutely maximum isolation). I’ve spent a few hours so far listening to them and my opinion is that they are worth the cost, especially after a little bit of personal ingenuity. The stock medium silicone mushroom tips fit me best and sounded good, but lacked sufficient isolation for me. The Comply tips for these IEMs only come in one size, and turned out too small for me to get good isolation. I ended up coring out the Comply tips, inverting the stock medium mushroom tips, filling them out with the decored Comply foam and flipping the mushrooms back over them. With this, I achieved the isolation and fit I desired.
In acoustics comparison between these new Sennheiser IEMs and the 12+ year old Westone 4s, I would say personal taste comes into play before absolute technical performance because the Westone sound is SO much more laid back at the top end of the spectrum. There is significantly more air and brightness in Sennheiser’s tuning than Westone’s. Note that the much more forward highs do NOT come across as harsh, just much more forward between the two! The mids and vocals are very close, with the difference coming down to greater sibilance with the German offering. Upper bass/lower mids hit with slightly more impact as compared to the American presentation, but I would not describe either one as faster than the other. On the deep bass end of the spectrum, the dynamic driver Sennheisers hit harder than the balanced armature Westones, but neither IEM can be described as muddier or slower than the other. Finally, it goes without saying that the Westone 4 has many more tips to experiment with to adjust sound. I have not yet played around with the equalizer function in the Sennheiser companion app. As far as top end extension, I think I have to give that to Sennheiser, but it’s tough to separate that fully from the more airy overall presentation. As for bass extension, neither of these IEMs are challenging full-blown cans, but I call it a draw.
-Ed
Up until now, I’ve been experimenting with a few options due to a huge upgrade from an iPhone SE to an iPhone XS, and thusly the loss of headphone jack. I have a higher-end source for when I’m doing critical listening, but for my hour-long commutes to and from work, I want something convenient, functional, easy to live with and yet still at least decent sounding. With my iPhone SE, I was using my old pair of Westone 4 IEMs (not the 4R with the replaceable cable, so the Bluetooth replacement cables are not an option for me). When I upgraded my phone, I initially decided not to spend so much, so I picked up a pair of 1More Triple Driver LTNG IEMs and paired them with the best Comply tips that fit, but I was pretty underwhelmed by the sound, and lightning connector was handy, but I found that it also was a minor nuisance as sometimes it would have a flakey connection if my phone is in my pocket. Next thing I ended up trying were Scosche’s lightning to 3.5mm adapter with in-line controls and also a Janvvoo Bluetooth wireless adapter that I found on Amazon. The Scosche cable ended up having similar connection issues in my pocket as the 1More cable, but sound was of course WAY better than the 1Mores. There was also a more critical issue where incoming phone calls would put the Scosche out of commission until I completely reset my phone. The Janvvoo adapter ended up being the best overall solution, as it suffered absolutely minimal loss in sound quality over the Scosche cable while functioning flawlessly and with the added benefit of being able to take calls seemlessly.
All that being said, at the end of the day, I decided that I wanted to go fully wireless, and decided to go with the Sennheiser Momentum TW as they seemed to hit all the bullet points on technical specifications and supported codecs etc, while also having an available tip option from Comply (a personal requirement as I am prefer absolutely maximum isolation). I’ve spent a few hours so far listening to them and my opinion is that they are worth the cost, especially after a little bit of personal ingenuity. The stock medium silicone mushroom tips fit me best and sounded good, but lacked sufficient isolation for me. The Comply tips for these IEMs only come in one size, and turned out too small for me to get good isolation. I ended up coring out the Comply tips, inverting the stock medium mushroom tips, filling them out with the decored Comply foam and flipping the mushrooms back over them. With this, I achieved the isolation and fit I desired.
In acoustics comparison between these new Sennheiser IEMs and the 12+ year old Westone 4s, I would say personal taste comes into play before absolute technical performance because the Westone sound is SO much more laid back at the top end of the spectrum. There is significantly more air and brightness in Sennheiser’s tuning than Westone’s. Note that the much more forward highs do NOT come across as harsh, just much more forward between the two! The mids and vocals are very close, with the difference coming down to greater sibilance with the German offering. Upper bass/lower mids hit with slightly more impact as compared to the American presentation, but I would not describe either one as faster than the other. On the deep bass end of the spectrum, the dynamic driver Sennheisers hit harder than the balanced armature Westones, but neither IEM can be described as muddier or slower than the other. Finally, it goes without saying that the Westone 4 has many more tips to experiment with to adjust sound. I have not yet played around with the equalizer function in the Sennheiser companion app. As far as top end extension, I think I have to give that to Sennheiser, but it’s tough to separate that fully from the more airy overall presentation. As for bass extension, neither of these IEMs are challenging full-blown cans, but I call it a draw.
-Ed
Last edited:
blazer78
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2005
- Posts
- 533
- Likes
- 51
Having compared both the CKR7TW and Sennheiser MTW's, I can probably say that the MTW's are superior at this stage.
The CKR7TW sounds bright, but the sound signature grows on you with time (kind of like the IM04). Theres a nice tonality to the midrange and hence vocals sound quite sweet on these. Unfortunately the treble has spikes and uneven peaks causing sibilance on a few tracks. This in itself causes an issue, particularly if you like to listen at louder volumes.
When you do an A/B with the MTWs you'll notice that the MTWs immediately sound darker and thicker. However, the good part here is that the treble is more refined, not sharp or very clear per se (smoother than the CKR7TW's you could say), but never prone to sibilance or discomfort at louder volumes. The advantage here is in the EQ provided by the Sennheiser app, allowing you to make a wide array of adjustments to the tonality and presentation of the music. Even when the EQ curve pushes the treble frequencies up high, there isn't any sibilance and you can achieve a brighter sounding signature easily with sharp and crisp treble.
Unfortunately for the CKR7TW, there is no EQ in the app, so if you use an iPhone like me, you are at the mercy of the treble presentation. The app is quite limited, and whether they will update it with an EQ function remains to be seen. All good on paper though with the AKM DAC, BT5 and all, its the true wireless earphone that could be.
On comfort and aesthetics, I have to give the points to the CKR7TW for the shape and size of my ears. The ear loop mechanism and size has been well thought out. I thought it looked better in my ears also, but thats probably subjective
At the end of the day, I look at my desk and wonder why I need to charge so many devices! Back to wired for now.
The CKR7TW sounds bright, but the sound signature grows on you with time (kind of like the IM04). Theres a nice tonality to the midrange and hence vocals sound quite sweet on these. Unfortunately the treble has spikes and uneven peaks causing sibilance on a few tracks. This in itself causes an issue, particularly if you like to listen at louder volumes.
When you do an A/B with the MTWs you'll notice that the MTWs immediately sound darker and thicker. However, the good part here is that the treble is more refined, not sharp or very clear per se (smoother than the CKR7TW's you could say), but never prone to sibilance or discomfort at louder volumes. The advantage here is in the EQ provided by the Sennheiser app, allowing you to make a wide array of adjustments to the tonality and presentation of the music. Even when the EQ curve pushes the treble frequencies up high, there isn't any sibilance and you can achieve a brighter sounding signature easily with sharp and crisp treble.
Unfortunately for the CKR7TW, there is no EQ in the app, so if you use an iPhone like me, you are at the mercy of the treble presentation. The app is quite limited, and whether they will update it with an EQ function remains to be seen. All good on paper though with the AKM DAC, BT5 and all, its the true wireless earphone that could be.
On comfort and aesthetics, I have to give the points to the CKR7TW for the shape and size of my ears. The ear loop mechanism and size has been well thought out. I thought it looked better in my ears also, but thats probably subjective
At the end of the day, I look at my desk and wonder why I need to charge so many devices! Back to wired for now.
Last edited:
Users who are viewing this thread
