Going fully Wireless IEMs. Too soon? Or are we there yet?

[eiraku]

The popping one earbud out is what ppl did with the older versions, I think. As long as they have good battery life, are relatively affordable, and no QC problems, count me in!

TBH, looking at the battery life of the prior ones, I'd be plenty happy already if they could stick with the 8hr rating of the BT20s (even if in practical use that should run closer to, eyyyy, 5-6hrs depending on IEM used).

Hiss is more of a concern tho. TRN has never really had a good history with eliminating that (unless the IEM you paired it with is less prone to hiss, like the V90s).

But hey, 3rd gen. Hopefully they've learned their lessons eyyyy. Plus, the BT3S was at least less hiss prone than the BT3 so that's that.

 

[Luke Skywalker]

UV sterilization / drying is only applicable if you are wearing for extended periods - like a hearing aide - or if you are wearing when working out - preparation or you are susceptible to ear infections. Bacteria can build up on the IEM and cause ear infections. Dryers and UV kits have been around for years and predate COVID. you should check with the IEM manufacture to see if UV / Dryers since they can damage anti-bacterial coatings that may already be applied to the IEM or damage the drivers in the IEM. ESP America for example uses a nano coating to prevent bacteria and dryers / UV can damage this coating.

most UV kits sold today do nothing to prevent / kill COVID. to kill really nasty stuff you need UV-C. UV-C is nasty light. it is very strong and can cause skin and vision issues. best not to play with it unless you understand UV-C.

using alcohol wipes can also destroy coatings and finishes. unless you have a need best just to clean off with a microfiber and store in a well ventilated area. most cases are too compact for ventilated storage. best to just leave in the open after a wipe with a microfiber. wash the microfiber when needed.

That's really interesting info about UV-C. I can't imagine going to all that trouble just to stick earbuds in my ear. Of course I'm the guy who eats the cookie that fell on the ground

 

[Luke Skywalker]

LOL, gosh. I can understand why you would have 12 pairs of TWS, and 9 headphones, and even 8 earphones, but WHY do you have 6+ daps?? Like really

Yeah I just have a HiBy R6 Pro. I probably won't get another DAP any time soon but maybe a desktop amp... Truthfully though, the R6 drives my Audeze LCD-2s and obviously has no problems with Lola IEM's so I'm not sure why I'd buy anything else at this point

 

[assassin10000]

That's really interesting info about UV-C. I can't imagine going to all that trouble just to stick earbuds in my ear. Of course I'm the guy who eats the cookie that fell on the ground

10 second rule?

 

[eiraku]

10 second rule?

In the current global situation? I'd dunk that cookie in 75% Food-Grade Ethanol first TBH

Also yeah, I'm pretty sure UV that's not UV-C will do jack crap to viruses to begin with. And UV-C (as someone here has mentioned before) can end up doing some pretty nasty stuff to you really, if you don't know what you're doing.

(This coming from a guy running IPX rated TWS simply because he can douse it in liquid sanitizer if he needs to - tho TBH I normally stick to simple AlcPads unless they fell into the drain or something )

 

[Peddler]

I've just posted a review of the Tronsmart Apollo's

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tronsmart-apollo-tws.24519/reviews

Unreal bass. I really wanted to like them but, apart from perhaps late night listening in bed at super-low volumes, I just couldn't handle the bass. I'm clearly just too fragile.

 

[Shadowclash10]

I've just posted a review of the Tronsmart Apollo's

https://www.head-fi.org/showcase/tronsmart-apollo-tws.24519/reviews

Unreal bass. I really wanted to like them but, apart from perhaps late night listening in bed at super-low volumes, I just couldn't handle the bass. I'm clearly just too fragile.

Looks like majority opinion is don't buy. ANC isn't that great, nor is SQ, etc.

 

[erockg]

AKG N400 on Amazon are the international version so I am pretty sure the warranty won't be valid in US. Also the single charge capacity of charging case is keeping me away from those.

I added an Asurion Extended 3-Year Warranty to mine for $21.99 through Amazon to be safe.

 

[eiraku]

Looks like majority opinion is don't buy. ANC isn't that great, nor is SQ, etc.

Seems like. I really was aiming for them to be my first ANC set if the SQ was decent too.

Oh well, at least the BT20 Pros are coming

 

[webvan]

Looks like majority opinion is don't buy. ANC isn't that great, nor is SQ, etc.

The ANC isn't bad, it's just that the passive isolation is poor (and it's not a fit problem) due to the design that is closer to earbuds than IEMs. It's disappointing because many of the recent offerings have had great passive isolation, like the SiFI II (design used elsewhere too now) or the Tozo NC9. Well there is a problem with ANC in that turning it on boosts bass level even higher than they are by default and it's really overwhelming, even for a bass head !

 

[Sam L]

Been using my Fiil CC's for running (no thump). Previously, I used the mifo 02 (terrible for music, only good for podcasts). I might end up staying with the mifo's only because they secure a tad better in my ears than the CC. The other reason I pulled the trigger on the CC was the mic quality per a review stating they were excellent for calls. They are ok, not excellent. I might concede that they are pretty good for calls, but my sony xm3 is still better and the APP remains king.

I was surprised at the SQ of the CC's, excellent for their category (ala old air pods / semi in-ear). Overall the design on the CC's are awesome. Best feel in hand over all the other TWS's I've tried or owned. Refer to scarbir's review for design details.

One thing to note, the upper mids / treble is way over emphasized. eq'ing helps a bit but they are definitely on the lean side in terms of sound. Excellent clarity, though and surprising amount of bass despite not being a full in-ear design.

My graphs are terribly inaccurate below 50hz and above 5k. Still waiting for my iec711 coupler to arrive.

 

[actorlife]

My overview on the Losei x12:
I got the Losei x12 for riding my bike and running. The rubber hooks are comfy and won’t clash with any glasses worn. A big plus for me. When I got them they needed some burn in time. Playing music for about four days. The Bass is alot more punchy and not boomy or distorted. These are neutral and slight roll off on the highs, so if you don’t enjoy bright TWS these will be a great option. I tested the battery and the claim of 5hrs and 30 min from Losei is spot on. Bravo. These are Type C and charge in an hour. IPX 5, so if sweating or splash in water these can handle it. I don’t use these for phone calls but I bet they sound good. I use my DAP player with flac or high quality MP3 files as my source. I got the grey color and even looks better in person.

Pros:
Really Comfy with glasses and haven’t fallen off my ears.
Neutral sound signature with tight Bass
They get loud enough, but I only use 55-65 percent volume to save my hearing.
5hrs and 30min battery
5.0
USB-C
Sweat proof
They don’t stick out alot like most TWS.

Cons:
Just a slight nitpick...
If they were a bit more brighter they’d be even greater, although I do like the SQ after burn-in.

Any questions feel free to ask.

 

[Shadowclash10]

My overview on the Losei x12:
I got the Losei x12 for riding my bike and running. The rubber hooks are comfy and won’t clash with any glasses worn. A big plus for me. When I got them they needed some burn in time. Playing music for about four days. The Bass is alot more punchy and not boomy or distorted. These are neutral and slight roll off on the highs, so if you don’t enjoy bright TWS these will be a great option. I tested the battery and the claim of 5hrs and 30 min from Losei is spot on. Bravo. These are Type C and charge in an hour. IPX 5, so if sweating or splash in water these can handle it. I don’t use these for phone calls but I bet they sound good. I use my DAP player with flac or high quality MP3 files as my source. I got the grey color and even looks better in person.

Pros:
Really Comfy with glasses and haven’t fallen off my ears.
Neutral sound signature with tight Bass
They get loud enough, but I only use 55-65 percent volume to save my hearing.
5hrs and 30min battery
5.0
USB-C
Sweat proof
They don’t stick out alot like most TWS.

Cons:
Just a slight nitpick...
If they were a bit more brighter they’d be even greater, although I do like the SQ after burn-in.

Any questions feel free to ask.

You can't detach the earhooks like the Amazfit Powerbuds, right?

 

[voicemaster]

Do these have an app/EQ?

Why u need eq to a customizeable bluetooth adapter. If you like bass then just pair them with bass canon iem or vise versa.

 

[FYLegend]

Anyone tried Wavelet EQ with the Sabbat E12 Ultra? The AutoEQ preset opens up the highs and the soundstage sounds more spacious, but in some tracks it sounds very clipped, unless I level down the limiter and check Reduce Clipping. I misplaced the original eartips so I'm using standard (audio-technica) eartips on them for now, the fit is a bit better but still rather loose. On the Galaxy Buds+, wavelet sounds clean but the lower mids sound thinner.

In the current global situation? I'd dunk that cookie in 75% Food-Grade Ethanol first TBH

Also yeah, I'm pretty sure UV that's not UV-C will do jack crap to viruses to begin with. And UV-C (as someone here has mentioned before) can end up doing some pretty nasty stuff to you really, if you don't know what you're doing.

(This coming from a guy running IPX rated TWS simply because he can douse it in liquid sanitizer if he needs to - tho TBH I normally stick to simple AlcPads unless they fell into the drain or something )

Tronsmart claims to have UV-C and UV-A. On some models UV lights are only restricted to the nozzles of the earbuds. UV-C is only really nasty if you are in the same room with the light turned on. It should be fine in your case. It's not as carcinogenic as UV-A but causes eye and skin damage if you're directly exposed to it.

I bit the bullet and bought the N400 from Amazon Canada for CDN$259 (US$195).
I am glad I did, it sounds noticeably better than the T1X, Truedots, or GT1 Plus that I have.

Just wondering where you got the T1X and how was the shipping to Vancouver?

I am not able to get super deep into my impressions right now, but I wanted to drop a note:

I am a big fan of the Nuarl line and currently use the N6 as my daily driver. I was curious about the AKG N400 - and so I ordered them....


Initial impressions were good - case was smaller and more premium than I expected. Fit was good, didn't love the stock eartips, but easy swap.

The sound initially I felt was good, a little sterile (I like some resonance/spaciousness - and this was a little on the clinical side). Touch controls were good. ANC was ANC, (not stunning, but I'd use it).

The dealbreakers:
1. On calls I sound "muffled and distant" - not very good.
2. Soundcloud, and Tidal showed markedly different quality to the sound - on both iOS and Android (BBKey2). This is a 'real world' use for me in that I listen to a lot of produced music on SC, and it can vary highly in bitrate and production quality - so I need something that can handle even the less polished stuff without sounding like.... welll... flabby.
The N6 is much better at this. The bass on the AKG N400 when stressed either by poor production, the equalizer, or even some Tidal Masters just didn't perform well. It didn't have any presence to really back it up, and ended up feeling flabby.
3. Connection quality - I had a lot of stutters and drop outs due to environmental effects and even when close to the phone.


The N10 Pro was Nuarl was then announced, which sealed the deal. I need a pair of TWS that handle whatever I throw at them, and the AKG are pretty dang cool, but they underperform for my use case, which is: listening to whatever I want and adjusting the sound to my ideal, answering calls, and exercise.

Sent the AKG back, waiting for the N10 Pro.

Have you been able to try it with a Windows laptop? After the fiasco with the Buds+, I'm wary about whether SBC codec has been gimped on the N400.