[CocaCola15]

So after giving up and returning the Sony WF1000X (connectivity issues when outside and not all that impressed with the SQ) and the NuForce Optoma Be Free8 (connectivity issues when outside), I gave the Nuheara IQBuds a try, with a $30 discount coupon. In the house, they sounded pretty impressive, but on 3 separate dog walking excursions, not a single sound drop (I don't use much of their many tricks on hearing outside, just set them to "plane" and leave it at that). They do offer a bit of a challenge in terms of tapping them for functionality, you have to be careful when you handle them on the go. But I love that you can change the volume with them and pause, change tracks, etc. No need to touch the iPhone.

Are they on par with my best pair of IEMs? No (they are JH customs, an old pair of JH5s). But they are plenty good enough for these aging ears when it comes to wireless IEMs. I tip the bass a little with my player EQ (the wonderful KaiserTone app), and they sound great. You do have to ensure they are seated properly in the case for charging, but it's not that difficult (some people complained about that on Amazon reviews). Again, no issues with connection. You do have to keep your BT source (in my case, an IPhone8 Plus) in your left pocket, which is not a problem for me (when using with a winter coat), because the left bud controls the BT connection. They do cut out if you switch them to the right side.

As far as comfort and fit, they are awesome, The oval tips (reminiscent of the Klipsch X10 oval tips) are perfect, comfy and snug.

I am not going to say rush out and buy these but compared to the Sonys, they just work for me. The Sonys fell short, the sound kept crapping out. So I consider these an excellent alternative. You get a 30-day return window if you decide they don't meet specs.

 

[Tommy C]

So during phone calls both the Bose SoundSport Free and PSB TW1 play voice from one bud only, not both. Pretty disappointing since I needed them for conference calls as well and not just for the gym or my commute.

 

[Exidous]

It's a shame the nuheara iqbuds don't support aspx. For the price you'd think they would.

 

[Tommy C]

I think I should probably look at it as this whole completely wireless IEMs technology is not fully ripe yet.
I haven’t found a perfect set. In terms of sound the Bose and PSB TW1 are very good but fall short in other areas.

 

[nc8000]

To me the Beoplay E8 are good enough. Not without faults but the faults are few enough and far enough between that the convenience of fully wireless wins out.

 

[n1ckyb]

I tried the QC30s about a year ago in an attempt to address the leakage issue with the regular soundsports. I'll be interested to hear your impressions. To me, the 30s seemed to be a bit dull and lifeless in comparison to the regular soundsports. I'm not sure if it was the ANC that was contributing to it or not. On the gym side of things, I would be careful. The design is such that the USB port is exposed on the underside of the headphone. I was very worried about them crapping out because even I had a few regular soundsports die on me as well. If you don't sweat a ton, it's probably fine but I would worried if you are a heavy sweater. Also, at least for me, I hated the collar. It moved around all over the place in the gym and I had to constantly readjust them. If your primary use is in the gym, that could become a PIA. As for the fit, you are absolutely right. Bose has this nailed. Easy and comfortable and you don't have to jam them in your ears.

So I have had the QC30s for several days now so can give my update. For SQ they are a little bass heavy and the vocals sit a little too far back. I've decided to use a little EQ to help with this issue and feel like it's a good compromise for me. The neckband is definitely not ideal but I can live with it for the benefits it provides. I'll typically leave the headphones around my neck constantly and can quickly take calls as well as listen to music now quickly when desired. I really like the NC. This is my first NC headphone and I'm sold on this. Being able to have a nice silent background to really hear the music is outstanding.

These are great for use at the computer and needing to Skype, Google Hangout, etc. I did notice that when using my Macbook, Apple's codec for bluetooth was resorting to a less than ideal setting when using both mic and headphones and the SQ was horrible. Here's the solution if anyone else needs it:
https://www.areilly.com/2017/07/29/enabling-aac-and-aptx-over-bluetooth-on-macos/

Comfort is top notch. It took me a little bit to really figure out how they are supposed to fit but once I did they are super comfortable and the little fin keeps them nice and locked into your ear.

Overall I can live with the downsides for now as I think they are good compromise and these are now my everything headphone (business and personal phone calls and online chat, walking and listening, exercising, wanting a quiet environment for listening, etc). I'll use other headphones with a cord for when I want a better listening experience and when I have the right environment (quiet place, good DAC, etc).

 

[clerkpalmer]

For sq alone the psb have taken over the bose. I wear the bose to run. The fit is superb for that purpose. The psb really have a nice warm sound signature. Hard to believe WO AAC or aptx.

 

[Tommy C]

For sq alone the psb have taken over the bose. I wear the bose to run. The fit is superb for that purpose. The psb really have a nice warm sound signature. Hard to believe WO AAC or aptx.

Agreed. I also prefer the fit of the PSB and the passive noise cancelling.
I am probably not going to keep the Bose.
Do you experience any connectivity issues in the left bud?
This seem to be like a common issue outdoors but not so much indoors.

 

[AlwaysForward]

My Bose SSF have been great. When I first got them, there were occasionally left side drops which reconnect when you click the button on the left side. I really enjoy the sound and form factor quite a bit. The exaggerated bass helps with noisy environments and doesn’t bleed into the mids, which is really nice.

 

[Tommy C]

My Bose SSF have been great. When I first got them, there were occasionally left side drops which reconnect when you click the button on the left side. I really enjoy the sound and form factor quite a bit. The exaggerated bass helps with noisy environments and doesn’t bleed into the mids, which is really nice.

Do you still experience left side drops?
I don’t think the ‘fix’ should be pressing the left button to reconnect for a set of high end wireless earbuds.
Has this been fixed with a firmware update?

 

[clerkpalmer]

I have not experienced dropouts with either Bose or PSB but I don’t use them outside. That would be annoying. I’m surprised Bose would release anything half baked but I’ve read the reviews on their website so it’s clearly a know issue.

 

[Tommy C]

I have not experienced dropouts with either Bose or PSB but I don’t use them outside. That would be annoying. I’m surprised Bose would release anything half baked but I’ve read the reviews on their website so it’s clearly a know issue.

Yeah, I’m going to look into it:
https://community.bose.com/t5/Wirel...undsport-Free-Left-Headphone-Drops/td-p/81487

 

[clerkpalmer]

Yeah, I’m going to look into it:
https://community.bose.com/t5/Wirel...undsport-Free-Left-Headphone-Drops/td-p/81487

Bose has solid customer service. I expect they will address it with you.

 

[AlwaysForward]

Do you still experience left side drops?
I don’t think the ‘fix’ should be pressing the left button to reconnect for a set of high end wireless earbuds.
Has this been fixed with a firmware update?

Haven’t had a drop in about 2 months but don’t know if it was an update or not.

 

[Exidous]

If you only use them in your house or say at work they will probably not drop out. The moment you go outside and you aren't near a lot of solid vertical objects they are done for. They do great in small rooms. In a large weight lifting room they are a nightmare.

As of 8 days ago mine were still terrible. They belong to the store again. I really wanted them to work. As for customer service, while I never contacted them directly, in the forums I got nothing but runaround bull over and over. NEVER a straight answer. The fact that they were incapable of being honest put me off to the extreme.