Looking forward to your impressions. Re: ANC, I suspect you're right in that it's just for calls. As for the controls, they are interesting in that it's a hybrid touch/physical button - first of its kind that I've experienced and kinda cool but also flaky. The Transparency (which by the way is not great due to excessive white noise - but apparently there are three different modes that can be accessed via the app that I can't get to work on either Android or iOS despite resetting the buds as suggested by Jabees support) and Gaming modes can only be invoked by a physical press rather than the touch controls. Agreed that I could also do without the beeping for volume but do appreciate the chime indicating on/off of the Transparency/Gaming modes - what I especially can't stand is the full blast shouting every time these buds are connected/disconnected or goes into pairing mode - wish one could tone that down. However as for the SQ, still really enjoying it.
Same here on the sq. Yeah i'll have to play with the functions more. That app is garbage. it doesn't crash for me, it is just unresponsive.
Forgot to mention, the only other twe i've seen with hybrid controls is the BackBeat Pro 5100 from plantronics. and that Ambient has a ton of white noise, like the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC.
it's a great question. I think for me i've owned some nice iems in the past, but i generally prefer over ears. When i first started down this audio rabbit hole, my first purchases were headphones. I'd had plenty experience with cheap iems and felt at the time that the gap from the iems i'd used previously to something like the SE535 was to large and to much to pay. I'd heard the 215, XBAH1 and others and i just felt my money was better spent on headphones. Despite making to many purchases, i've largely stuck to my unofficial parameters. no more than $300 for an iem; wired, true wireless etc. No more than $400 for a Bluetooth over ear etc. Following this has served me well because i've found a number of products tuned differently that i enjoy, and they all have convenience of some kind, which brings me back to True Wireless. if i can get a sound that i'd enjoy for an extended amount of time while away from home, and it has great ambient, ANNC etc; than i am interested. IF it only has sq i enjoy, than i spend a lot less. Having said all that, there are so many wired iems at great prices these days and i've been looking at different BT adaptors as well.
One of the nice things about using an adapter is that you can repurpose your old IEMs if you'd like. So something like your SE215 could be repurposed into an TWS IEM. The downside is that you cannot get ANC with an adapter right now and implementing such a system would be difficult. Most of the adapters on the market do filter out background noise for calls though, but with call quality your mileage may vary.
One thing I will note is that when you're looking at ANC, transparency, etc. features you will end up sacrificing sound quality for the price to get those features since it does require R&D and hardware to make work. In my experiences, if a headphone supports ANC, transparency, etc. the actual SQ of the headphone is comparable to another non-ANC headphone that is ¼-½ the advertised price of the ANC one.
One of the nice things about using an adapter is that you can repurpose your old IEMs if you'd like. So something like your SE215 could be repurposed into an TWS IEM. The downside is that you cannot get ANC with an adapter right now and implementing such a system would be difficult. Most of the adapters on the market do filter out background noise for calls though, but with call quality your mileage may vary.
One thing I will note is that when you're looking at ANC, transparency, etc. features you will end up sacrificing sound quality for the price to get those features since it does require R&D and hardware to make work. In my experiences, if a headphone supports ANC, transparency, etc. the actual SQ of the headphone is comparable to another non-ANC headphone that is ¼-½ the advertised price of the ANC one.
Great points for sure. Ideally i would have 1 nice twe, another backup and a good adaptor with a nice set of IEMs. AS nice as ANC and Ambient are, sq is always first for me. The other 2 don't have to be at the same level but for the money i do think the right adaptor iem combo goes a lot further.
I am still not sure why anyone with audiophile tendencies would still pursue standard offerings of wireless IEMs when with as little as 160 euros you can do the FiiO UTWS3 adapters and a hybrid 10 driver IEM like the KZ ZAX...with many other options even cheaper [or more expensive]
The combo is on a completely different level to the Sony WF1000-XM3 or MTW...for less money....
how did he even get them in his ears that way? LOL
I watched a Shirley Maclean movie where she's a rich mean old lady who discovers herself throughout the movie. At one point she decides to become a disc jockey at a radio station and she's wearing a pair of Sony MDR-Z7 headphones and in one scene she is wearing them correctly and then a minute later she has them on backwards. Cracked me up when I saw it
Fiio UTWS3 is IPX4 rated. The rest is true, however. I will admit though, that a good pair of IEMs will provide enough passive isolation where ANC may not be needed entirely. Especially once music is playing. This is form factor and shape dependent though. You could in theory also attach an open-backed IEM as well if you don’t need the isolation and want spacial awareness. But it does become an either-or scenario (So you don’t get the flexibility).
-Case is not much bigger than the Sony case
-IPX4 rated
-ANC on IEMs not really needed in my opinion...was not great on the Sonys anyway
-they may be bulky but are way more comfy than the Sonys and MTW that I had and definitely feel more secure and wont fall out..
-ambient mode...never used it..
I am still not sure why anyone with audiophile tendencies would still pursue standard offerings of wireless IEMs when with as little as 160 euros you can do the FiiO UTWS3 adapters and a hybrid 10 driver IEM like the KZ ZAX...with many other options even cheaper [or more expensive]
The combo is on a completely different level to the Sony WF1000-XM3 or MTW...for less money....
Because people have different requirements simple lol
Is that setup water resistant, does it fold up small, does it have ANC, etc. I have the end all Z1R earphones but I wouldn't use them on a plane/commuting.
-Case is not much bigger than the Sony case
-IPX4 rated
-ANC on IEMs not really needed in my opinion...was not great on the Sonys anyway
-they may be bulky but are way more comfy than the Sonys and MTW that I had and definitely feel more secure and wont fall out..
-ambient mode...never used it..
- Case is still huge compared to almost every TWS, meaning they aren't that portable, the Sony's aren't really representative.
- The actual IEM's aren't IP-rated tho...Adapters aren't in any risk of getting sweat inside them anyway
- ANC is quite useful to plenty of people
- The adapter isn't what you insert in your ear... So obviously they will be more comfy... The adapter paired with an IEM is way more bulky than just a TWS
- Again, plenty of people finds Ambient Mode quite useful when you're out and about.
I think you guys don't understand that some of us really likes TWS when we're outside our home, ANC, Ambient Mode, IP-rating, portable case etc, all becomes very useful features then.
Just compare the size of the cases, my Sennheiser CX400BT measures:
59 x 33.8 x 42.3 mm
Whilst the UTWS3 measures:
93.5x71.1x34.6 mm
The difference in size is quite stark, and there are TWS with even smaller cases than my CX400BT.
I'm still a huge fan of regular IEM's when im at home.
I am still not sure why anyone with audiophile tendencies would still pursue standard offerings of wireless IEMs when with as little as 160 euros you can do the FiiO UTWS3 adapters and a hybrid 10 driver IEM like the KZ ZAX...with many other options even cheaper [or more expensive]
The combo is on a completely different level to the Sony WF1000-XM3 or MTW...for less money....
For me, resolution/detail is not the ultimate factor when deciding on a pair of headphones. It's an important factor. But I personally like the house sound of Grado's, Senns...so it was an easy decision for me when they came out with TWS.
Just pulled the trigger on that Jabra USB adapter. Bought from them directly, so hoping that keeps shipping quick. Pretty excited at the prospect of using the UEs with my work laptop
how did he even get them in his ears that way? LOL
I watched a Shirley Maclean movie where she's a rich mean old lady who discovers herself throughout the movie. At one point she decides to become a disc jockey at a radio station and she's wearing a pair of Sony MDR-Z7 headphones and in one scene she is wearing them correctly and then a minute later she has them on backwards. Cracked me up when I saw it
I got my pair out and tried .. yes, you can get them to somehow hold, but I doubt you get a seal / good sound ... he is at least wearing the right one on the right side
Reminds me of first appearances of iphones (2007) in TV shows, and people were apparently holding dummies upside down
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